The Changing Landscape of Akabane Virus: A Comprehensive Review

Akabane virus (AKAV) is an orthobunyavirus transmitted by biting midges of the genus Culicoides. This virus mainly affects ruminant species and represents an important threat to animal health across the world, being distributed in regions of Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Oceania. Although adult animals usually develop subclinical infection, AKAV can cross the placental barrier producing abortions, stillbirths, and severe congenital malformations that lead to substantial economic losses. Lately, AKAV has expanded its host range to non-ruminant species such as domestic pigs and bamboo rats, showing a marked virulence in these mammalian species. The host plasticity of AKAV together with the expanding distribution of Culicoides biting midges induced by global warming raise concerns about the potential arrival of AKAV into previously unaffected regions with naïve livestock populations. Due to the absence of therapeutic treatments, vaccination remains the main measure against AKAV. As climate change promotes vector expansion, AKAV can be considered as an increasingly relevant emerging pathogen in animal health, which enhances the need for strengthened surveillance programs, a deeper understanding of the virus biology, virulence and pathogenicity, and the development of novel vaccine candidates against this viral pathogen. This review provides an overview of current knowledge about AKAV biology, epidemiology, and disease, and a discussion about control strategies.