African Swine Fever Virus
African Swine Fever virus causes a fatal disease among domestic pigs in Africa and a less virulent infection in Europe. The virus is present in soft ticks, warthogs or domestic pigs. Originally listed as a species of iridoviridae, the virus exhibits some similarities to poxviridae but its differences warranted placement in a separate genus of an, as yet unknown, family. The disease is also known as Wart Hog Disease, as these animals beside the Bush Pig are affected. In some parts of Africa, pig raising had to be abandoned on account of the disease, which is highly contagious, nearly always fatal, and gives rise to 'carriers'-those few animals that do survive often transmit the infection to other pigs for a year or more. The pigs are slaughtered as a method of control, costing less than wide-spread vaccination without the risk of carriers.

African Horse Sickness Virus
A species of orbivirus, a tick-borne virus, that causes disease in horses, mules and donkeys. Also known as African Horse Plague. It is a disease of horses, mules and occasionally donkeys that is more prevalent in the summer and autumn, attaining its height at the end of the autumn. Approximately nine days after the first frost of the season, the occurrence of the disease suddenly ceases. There are four types of the disease that can be clinically identified: Horse Sickness Fever, pulmonary form; cardiac form; or mixed form.

Blue Tongue Virus
The type species of orbivirus, a tick-borne virus, that causes serious disease in sheep, especially lambs. It may also affect wild ruminants, animals characterized as having a four-chambered stomach and usually possesses horns or antlers, and other domestic animals.

Foot and Mouth Disease Virus
Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is a highly contagious and economically devastating disease of cattle and swine. It also affects sheep, goats, deer and other cloven-hoofed ruminants. Many affected animals recover, but the disease leaves them debilitated. FMD causes severe losses in the production of meat and milk. Because it spreads widely and rapidly and because it has grave economic as well as physical consequences, FMD is one of the animal diseases that livestock owners dread most. The disease does not affect food safety or humans. People, however, can spread the virus to animals because it can remain in human nasal passages for as long as 28 hours. Therefore a FMD outbreak, either as a natural or bioterrorist occurrence, in the United States could potentially cost the U.S. livestock industry billions of dollars in losses in the first year.

Newcastle Disease Virus
An influenza-like viral disease of birds, including domestic fowl, characterized by respiratory and gastrointestinal or pneumonic and encephalitic symptoms. First seen in 1926 near Newcastle, England, the infection is also transmissible to humans by contact with infected birds and is also known as "Fowl Pest." Newcastle Disease is an acute febrile infectious disease of fowl somewhat resembling fowl plague, but caused by a separate and immunologically distinct virus. Few species of birds can withstand massive dose of virus, but except for in the fowl, the disease is mild. The disease may be transmitted to humans and gives rise to conjunctivitis. The incubation period for the virus is from four to 11 days.

Rinderpest Virus
A species of morbillivirus causing cattle plague, a disease with high mortality. Rinderpest Virus is an acute, specific, febrile disease of cattle characterized by an ulcerative inflammation of mucous membranes, especially those of the alimentary tract. When the disease strikes a herd, oftentimes nine out of ten cattle die. Cattle are by far the most susceptible. Sheep, goats, pigs and other animals of the order artiodactyla can be infected. Ailing wild game can carry the infection to healthy cattle. Horses are immune.