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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Ruminant Diseases and Immunology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #314210
Title: Emerging pestiviruses infecting domestic and wildlife hosts

Author
item Ridpath, Julia

Submitted to: Animal Health Research Reviews
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/13/2015
Publication Date: 6/1/2015
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/61249
Citation: Ridpath, J.F. 2015. Emerging pestiviruses infecting domestic and wildlife hosts. Animal Health Research Reviews. 16(1):55-59. DOI: 10.1017/S1466252315000067.

Interpretive Summary: The pestiviruses are a group of similar viruses that make up a genus. These viruses infect cattle, swine, sheep, goats and a number of hooved wildlife species. Pestivirus infections of domestic animals significantly reduce income for producers and pestivirus infections of wildlife reduce wildlife populations. Originally it was thought that there were just three kinds of pestiviruses. However, new techniques for detecting viruses and increased surveillance of wildlife populations have led to the discovery of several new types of pestiviruses. These new pestiviruses are referred to as emerging pestiviruses. This review details the history of emerging pestiviruses and their impact on disease control programs.

Technical Abstract: The term emerging viruses includes viruses that fit into several different categories. There are completely novel viruses that suddenly appear in a host species without any historical precedence. However, emerging viruses also includes viruses that don’t fit this description. Some viruses are labeled emerging because they have been recently detected in a different species. Others may be labeled as emerging because of increased transmission or severity of outbreaks due to a change in virulence. Still other “emerging” viruses would be more accurately labeled as newly recognized rather than emerging. That is, these viruses have been in circulation for decades but increased surveillance or new diagnostic methods have recently allowed their detection in domestic or wildlife populations. Examples of all of these “emerging virus” categories can be found within the pestivirus genus.