pathogens Review Bluetongue and Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease in the United States of America at the Wildlife–Livestock Interface Nelda A. Rivera 1,* , Csaba Varga 2 , Mark G. Ruder 3 , Sheena J. Dorak 1 , Alfred L. Roca 4 , Jan E. Novakofski 1,5 and Nohra E. Mateus-Pinilla 1,2,5,* 1 Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1816 S. Oak Street, Champaign, IL 61820, USA;
[email protected] (S.J.D.);
[email protected] (J.E.N.) 2 Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2001 S Lincoln Ave, Urbana, IL 61802, USA;
[email protected] 3 Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA;
[email protected] 4 Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1207 West Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801, USA;
[email protected] 5 Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1503 S. Maryland Drive, Urbana, IL 61801, USA * Correspondence:
[email protected] (N.A.R.);
[email protected] (N.E.M.-P.) Abstract: Bluetongue (BT) and epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) cases have increased world- wide, causing significant economic loss to ruminant livestock production and detrimental effects to susceptible wildlife populations. In recent decades, hemorrhagic disease cases have been re- ported over expanding geographic areas in the United States. Effective BT and EHD prevention and control strategies for livestock and monitoring of these diseases in wildlife populations depend Citation: Rivera, N.A.; Varga, C.; on an accurate understanding of the distribution of BT and EHD viruses in domestic and wild Ruder, M.G.; Dorak, S.J.; Roca, A.L.; ruminants and their vectors, the Culicoides biting midges that transmit them.