Schmallenberg Virus, from the Necropsy Room to the Laboratory

Abstract

In a world facing significant climate changes, arboviruses are expanding into new regions. In recent decades, Western Europe has experienced multiple outbreaks of epizootic arboviruses in ruminants, including the Schmallenberg virus. This virus emerged in 2011 and spread rapidly across the continent, causing severe malformations in the central nervous systems of ruminant fetuses. As such, it serves as a strong example of the potential threat posed to other species and provides a valuable model for studying vertical transmission and viral damage to the central nervous system of fetuses. This chapter presents a detailed methodology for studying the virus from natural cases. It begins with the systematic determination of the virus's distribution within the fetus and the associated lesions and continues with the biomolecular characterization of the virus.

Keywords: Histopathology; Necropsy; Polymerase chain reaction; Schmallenberg virus; Viral titer.