Bluetongue virus revisited

Bluetongue (BT) is a vector-borne viral disease of ruminants that causes high socio-economic and sanitary consequences. Bluetongue virus (BTV) is a member of the genus Orbivirus of the family Reoviridae and so far 26 serotypes have been described. The disease has been known to the South African sheep farmers since at least the early years of the 19th century. From this date, more than 2000 articles have been published about BTV and around 800 of them have appeared in the last ten years. This high number of publications in recent years reflects an important and fast advance in the understanding of this virus, especially since 2006, when an outbreak of BTV-8 was detected in Northern Europe. This special issue of Virus Research reviews the work that has been done on BTV in the last few years. It contains a brief introduction and nine review articles from leading experts in the field. This issue highlights the recent achievements in the field and shows the future directions in bluetongue virus research.