The virus causes Bluetongue disease.

[1][2][3] BTV is relatively fragile and its infectivity is lost in slightly acidic environments.

The recently spreading BTV-3 variant (BTV-3/NET2023) has raised concerns due to its fast spread in Europe, and the introduction of this variant could pose new challenges for disease control.

[4] In response to this, several countries have implemented vaccination campaigns, but the challenge lies in matching vaccines to the circulating strain.

The BTV-3 variant’s genetic stability has been confirmed through sequencing, and vaccines currently in use are expected to be effective against it.