Pretty big area of the state is seeing the effect, makes you wonder how much was not reported or even discovered.

Virus kills sheep, wildlife in state

The deadly bluetongue virus has killed more than 300 domestic sheep in the Worland, Otto, Basin and Greybull areas of the Big Horn Basin, state officials say.

The outbreak of bluetongue has also killed antelope, whitetail deer and mule deer in the Big Horn Basin, as well as antelope and mule deer in the Cody, Sinclair and Douglas areas.

Sheep owners are urged to contact their veterinarians if they notice symptoms of the disease in their flocks -- high fever, excessive salivation, and swelling of the face and tongue.

Don Montgomery, director of the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory, said in a news release that samples from sheep, either live or dead animals, can be collected and sent to the lab for testing.

Bluetongue’s distinctive name is due to blue discoloration of the mouth and lips of infected animals. The cause of death in affected sheep is usually pneumonia.

The disease is transmitted by small biting midges commonly called “no-see-ums.â€

As of Thursday, the veterinary lab had confirmed infection in sheep on seven ranches. Big Horn Basin veterinarian Tim Graham reports that about 300 of 900 affected sheep in one range flock died from the infection.

Livestock premises with confirmed infection have been quarantined.

Nationwide, this is one of the worst years on record for HD/BT. It really tears me up.
Walt

There was an outbreak along the Yellowstone in Montana this fall. Apparently the midges die after a good frost.

Several years ago (5 - 7?) there was a nasty outbreak in SouthEast Montana. I could smell rotting flesh all along the Powder river when pheasant hunting. It seems like every 50 - 100 yards you'd come across another dead whitey.

Nasty stuff.

We lost a lot of goats in this area during the summer, we have had some good frosts and I suspect the danger is over....for this year.

Found 4 dead deer along the MussleShell river within 300 yards of each other. No signs of foul play and it was said Blue Tongue was in the area. I'm sure if I snooped around some more that more critters would have been found.

It has shown up in Germany, too, the first time I can remember. Wild animals affected are so far mostly moufflons.

does bluetongue affect the meat of infected animals?

Visit the U of GA SCWDS site for that info; as far as I know, unless there is a secondary bacterial infection, the meat is OK.
Walt