Abstract: Schmallenberg virus (SBV) infection is a new emerging livestock disease, provisionally named after Schmallenberg town in Germany where it was first identified in late 2011. So far the virus has been detected in Europe, including Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, the UK and Denmark. Also, Austria, Poland, Sweden and Finland detected antibodies in cattle, sheep and goats, respectively. Genetic characterisation has shown that SBV is closest to the Simbu serogroup of the Bunyaviridae family, genus Orthobunyavirus that are known pathogens in ruminants, and aretransmitted through arthropod vectors such as mosquitoes (Culicidae) or midges (Culicoides). The virus has been associated with two different profiles of clinical signs: brief mild/moderate disease (milk drop, pyrexia, diarrhoea) in adult cattle and stillbirths and birth defects in newborn ruminants (cattle, sheep and goats). There is no evidence that the SBV could cause illness in humans, as other comparable viruses are not zoonotic, but it cannot be excluded at this stage. Though there is currently no specific treatment or vaccine for SBV, vaccination is a possible option for controlling the disease as a vaccine exists for the similar virus Akabane. As it is a newly identified virus there are still aspects that remain unknown at this point until more research has been done.

Key words: Schmallenberg virus; Simbu serogroup viruses of Orthobunyavirus; ruminants; arthropod vectors