1. Control Prevent entry Reduce exposure Vaccination
Learn to live with disease

2. Competent vectors

3. Contingency plans Developed with core stakeholder group
Disparate interests
Need to involve all livestock owners
Response must be proportionate

4. Summary of the challenges of BTV
Molecular level
Continual change in genetic sequence in replication vector and host
Re-assortment and genetic drift
24 serotypes – 24 diseases
Cell level
Avoid host defences
within the cell
extracellularly
Host level
Wide variation in virulence of the virus
Variation in pathogenicity between species and breeds
Vector level
Virus factory which can widely disseminate the disease
Potential for recruitment of new vector species.

5. Future challenges
Vaccine development e.g. VLP subunit vaccines, killed vaccines
Understanding the infection in the midge and host pathogenicity
Develop sophisticated control measures base on manipulation of the vector and virus
Keeping abreast of changes in sequences and emergence of new strains of BTV so as develop and refine diagnostic tests and epidemiological investigations.
Blue tongue virus is a fascinating parasite that manages throught is structure to change and adapt… its success is linked to that of the vector – which ultimately controlled by climate and its genetics – and “competence”. Understanding this virus and its function may lay with the vector rather than animal studies. The structure, the sequences, the variatioin in topotyes, strains and their continual evoluation provides a challenge