Epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus

Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Virus (often abbreviated EHDV) is a species of the genus Orbivirus, a member of the family Reoviridae. It is the causative agent of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease, an acute, infectious, and often fatal disease of wild ruminants. In North America, the most severely affected ruminant is the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) although it may also infect mule deer, black-tailed deer, elk, bighorn sheep, and pronghorn antelope. It is often mistakenly referred to as “Bluetongue Virus” (BTV), another Orbivirus that, like EHDV, causes the host to develop a characteristic blue tongue due to systemic hemorrhaging and lack of oxygen in the blood. Despite showing clinical similarities, these two viruses are genetically distinct.