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Middelburg Virus (MIDV)
Middelburg Virus (MIDV) is an Alphavirus of the Old World Group that has likely endemic and zoonotic potential. It is of the viral family Togaviridae. It was isolated from mosquitos in 1957 in South Africa, MDIV antigens have now been found in livestock, horses, and humans [1].

Symptoms
Typical symptoms of MIDV include: fever, swollen/aching limbs, hyperactiveness, and depression [1]. There is research that is leading us to believe that MIDV might cause neurologic disease. Some signs of the neurologic disease are: ataxia, paresis, seizures, and paralysis[1]. In these cases where MIDV infection lead to neurologic disease, moderate meningoencepahlitis was observed microscopically [1]. There have also been rare cases in horses where MIDV infection has lead to jaundice, laminitic stance, and aborted pregnancy [1].

Virus Structure
Middelburg Virus is a single stranded, linearly arranged, positive stranded RNA virus. MIDV has an enveloped capsid that contains an icosahedron structure. The icoshedron has a triangulation number (T) or 4, meaning is contains 240 monomers. It is thought to be part of the Semliki Forest clade of Alphaviridae.

Genome
kajkdhfa

Entry
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Replication and Transcription
no DNA stage

Possible Vectors
MIDV was first isolated from the mosquito species Ochlerotatus caballus, since then it has been found in other mosquito species in South Africa including: Aedes leneatopennis and Aedes albothorax [3]. The virus is limited to Africa, but due to the wide range of these mosquito hosts and possible traveling of horses and livestock, there is cause to believe it might spread elsewhere [5]. Sindbis Virus, an extremely similar virus to MIDV has spread outside of Africa and effects humans [5]. The horses themselves cannot act as vectors to spread MIDV since the concentration of virus in the host blood stream is too small to infect a mosquito [5].

Other host species include Ovis aries, Mansonia, and Aedes vittatus

Associated Disease
MIDV is classified as an Old World Alphavirus which also includes Semliki Forest Virus (SFV), Ndumu virus, Barmah Forest Virus, and the very well-known Chikungunya virus [1]. These diseases all have similar symptoms: arthritis, fever, and rash [1]. Current research is also pointing to Old World Alphaviruses leading to neurologic disease like their New World counterparts [3,5].

There is a similar group of Alphavirus known as the New World Alphaviruses that also share much in common with MIDV. These include: Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus, and Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus [1]. These viruses are more notoriously associated with neurologic disease and are more likely to effect humans [1].

Treatment
There is no known treatment for MIDV in horses currently [3]. Veterinarians may give anti-inflammatory drugs to affected animals to lessen the inflammatory response of the infection. Horse owners can also take preemptive measure by using long-lasting repellants and mosquito netting [4].