Murine Typhus, Algeria

and 9 strains of African horse sickness virus) (5). The RT-qPCR tests confi rmed BTV viremia. The yak species in its natural biotope is usually rarely exposed to competent Culicoides vectors. Antibodies against BTV have been found in many wild ruminants (6), and our results extend the number of ruminant species susceptible to BTV. In the northern European BT outbreak, lesions in cattle and sheep were mainly localized to the regions of the muzzle, mouth, and eye; clinical signs were not always obvious (7,8). As in cattle and sheep, clinical signs in yaks were observed on the muzzle, in the periocular region, and around and inside the mouth. These signs clearly refl ected viral-induced endothelial damage triggering disseminated intravascular coagulation and a hemorrhagic diathesis commonly described in sheep and cattle (2). In our case, lesions depicted pronounced microvascular damage. According to the severity of the lesions and rates of illness and death observed, the yak, like sheep, appears to be highly susceptible to BTV. In the epidemiology of BT in African countries, cattle and wild ruminant species such as antelopes play a role as asymptomatic reservoir hosts of the virus (2). Some wild ruminant species in captivity could also play this role in European countries affected by the recent BT outbreak. These cases could be of particular concern for all parks and zoos that gather numerous wild ruminants. Illness, reproductive failure, and deaths usually reported with BT (9) could generate substantial losses on these premises. Moreover, the source of BTV-8 in the northern European outbreak remains unclear, and the role of wild ruminant species has to be taken into account. In the future, European authorities should consider vaccination to prevent the spread of the disease in European member states (10). All premises with wild ruminants need to be involved in BT control and prophylaxis. Acknowledgments We are indebted to S. Vandeputte, C. Thomas, and F. Vandenbussche for assistance with Liege clinical examinations, postmortem examinations, and RT-qPCR tests, respectively; and L. Dams and D. Ziant for excellent technical assistance.