Bluetongue virus (BTV) usually infects sheep, cattle, deer and other domesticated and wild ruminants through the bite of the vector insects, Culicoide, causing bluetongue (BT). BT in subtropical and even temperate regions poses a serious threat to the development and international trade of the livestock industry. This article introduced the structure and cellular invasion, and summarized the mechanisms of anti-BTV immune response of host cells and antagonism of host cell innate immune response by the non-structural proteins (e.g., NS3 and NS4) and structural proteins (e.g., VP3 and VP4) of BTV. This review provided a basis for understanding the antagonism mechanisms of BTV against the interferon (IFN) immune response in the host cell and the pathogenesis of BTV as well as for developing novel vaccines against this virus.
Keywords: antiviral immunity; bluetongue virus; interferon (IFN) immune response; non-structural protein; virus-host interaction.