Animals Involved
Sheep, goats, also in llamas, cattle, horses, other domestic and wild mammals, grouse, ptarmigan
Known Distributions
UK, Northern Ireland; also reported in Norway, Spain; uncommon in people
Probable Means of Spreading
Tick bites (Ixodes ricinus); aerosol exposure in laboratory, contamination of skin wounds, contact with infected animals; possibly ingestion of milk
Clinical Manifestations in People
Biphasic influenzalike illness, sometimes followed by meningitis or meningoencephalitis, paralysis, joint pain in second phase; not usually fatal