Akabane Virus

Akabane virus is an arthropod-borne Bunyavirus responsible for epizootics of congenital malformations in ruminants in Australia, Japan, Korea, and Israel. Although infection of the dam is asymptomatic, transplacental infection of bovine, ovine, and caprine fetuses at critical stages of gestation may result in abortion, stillbirth, arthrogryposis, hydranencephaly, microencephaly, and other central nervous system malformations usually incompatible with life.