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Abstract
In June 2006, bluetongue virus, an arboviral pathogen of ruminants, appeared in northern
Europe for the first time, successfully overwintered and subsequently caused substantial
losses to the farming sector in 2007 and 2008. This emergence served as a test of
how the probability of arboviral incursion into new regions is assessed and has highlighted
the reliance of decision making on paradigms that are not always underpinned by basic
biological data. In this review, we highlight those areas of the epidemiology of bluetongue
that are poorly understood, reflect upon why certain vital areas of research have
received little attention and, finally, examine strategies that could aid future risk
assessment and intervention.