Epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus
| Epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus | |
|---|---|
| Virus classification | |
| Group: | Group III (dsRNA) |
| Order: | Unassigned |
| Family: | Reoviridae |
| Subfamily: | Sedoreovirinae |
| Genus: | Orbivirus |
| Species: | Epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus |
Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Virus, often abbreviated to EHDV, is a species of the genus Orbivirus, a member of the family Reoviridae. It is the causative agent of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease, an acute, infectious, and often fatal disease of wild ruminants. In North America, the most severely affected ruminant is the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) although it may also infect mule deer, black-tailed deer, elk, bighorn sheep, and pronghorn antelope. It is often mistakenly referred to as “Bluetongue Virus” (BTV), another Orbivirus that, like EHDV, causes the host to develop a characteristic blue tongue due to systemic hemorrhaging and lack of oxygen in the blood. Despite showing clinical similarities, these two viruses are genetically distinct.
Worldwide, there have been eight different serotypes of EHDV identified. Historically, only serotypes EHDV-1 and EHDV-2 have been found in North America, however, recent research has discovered at least one more in the Midwest and Southern United States. EHDV can only be spread by an insect vector. In North America, the common vector is the biting midge (Culicoides variipennis). The first identified outbreak of EHDV in the United States occurred in 1955 and caused several hundred white-tailed deer to die in New Jersey and Michigan. There are recorded cases of EHDV-like die-offs prior to 1955 (as far back as 1890), however EHDV was not identified in these cases as its existence was not yet known.
Order: Unassigned
Family: Reoviridae
Genus: Orbivirus
Species: Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Virus
Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Virus belongs to the family Reoviridae, a family of double-stranded RNA viruses that includes familiar genera like Rotavirus (the most common cause of viral gastroenteritis in children), Coltivirus (causative agent of Colorado tick fever), and Orbivirus. Besides EHDV and BTV, other Orbiviruses include Equine Encephalosis Virus (EEV) and African Horse Sickness Virus.
Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Virus is a double-stranded RNA virus that belongs to the family Reoviridae and the genus Orbivirus, and is also closely related to Bluetongue Virus (BTV). Its genome is approximately 18-31 kDa in length and consists of 10 segments, where each segment encodes a single protein. These proteins could be one of the seven structural proteins (VP1-VP7) or one of the four non-structural proteins (NS1, NS2, NS3a, or NS3b). The non-structural proteins are encoded by gene segments 6, 8, and 10, and have been found to be highly conserved. The segmented genome of EHDV facilitates reassortment within species, and may be why there are EHDV breakouts every year.
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