“…Microscopic examination of endothelial cells of the heart, lung, liver and spleen of AHSV-infected animals showed ultrastructural modifications that included the loss of intercellular junction integrity, the presence of cytoplasmic projections and condensation of the nucleus, thus suggesting that apoptosis may contribute to the pathogenesis of AHSV in the mammalian host (Laegreid et al, 1992;Gó mez-Villamandos et al, 1999). Indeed, for various members of the family Reoviridae, including Bluetongue virus (BTV), Epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) and others, apoptosis appears to be integral to the cellular pathogenesis induced by these viruses (DeMaula et al, 2001;Kominsky et al, 2002;Mortola et al, 2004;Clarke et al, 2005;O'Donnell et al, 2005;Danthi et al, 2008;Stewart & Roy, 2010;Shai et al, 2013). In the case of BTV, the prototype member of the genus Orbivirus, the outer capsid proteins VP2 and VP5 were shown to be sufficient for the induction of apoptosis in cultured mammalian cells (Mortola et al, 2004).…”