Overwintering of BTV in the UK

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To date the mechanism(s) by which BTV-8 survived in northern Europe over the 2006-07 winter is unknown but it is vital that they (it) be elucidated before the 2008 vector season in order to be able to introduce preventative measures before transmission re-commences. This is especially important in the UK where so far the virus has been limited to a very restricted area of eastern England and may still be able to be eradicated. In essence we have a once-only opportunity to eliminate the virus from the UK before it devastates our ruminant industry as it has already done on the near continent in 2007. This project aims to elucidate the mechanisms.

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