Abstract

In September 2008, bluetongue virus serotype 8 (BTV-8) infection was detected for the first time in Sweden, in a dairy herd on the west coast. Two different previously published operational atmospheric dispersion models indicate that midges from infected regions in Europe are likely to have reached Sweden by atmospheric transport during an estimated infection window. Both models indicated that the likely dates for the incursion of midges were overnight on August 6 to 7 and August 14 to 15; however, the less constrained model indicated a number of additional possible dates. The distribution of infected herds detected by active surveillance coincides with the regions that were indicated by the models to have been reached by midges from regions in Denmark and Germany with infected herds. It is likely that several points of introduction of infected midges occurred, possibly on different occasions. No alternative routes for introduction of the infection to Sweden were identified, supporting the theory that BTV-8 was introduced by infected midges carried by the wind.

Published in

Veterinary Record
2010, Volume: 167, number: 13, pages: 484-488
Publisher: BRITISH VETERINARY ASSOC

UKÄ Subject classification

Other Veterinary Science


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.c3961

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/60343