NSDV is regarded as one of the most pathogenic diseases in sheep and goats with mortality rates ranging from 40% in Merino sheep to 90% in Masai sheep [1] . Judging by its high pathogenesis, NSDV has most likely developed efficient mechanisms to circumvent or inhibit innate immunity. The first response of the immune system against virus infections is the production and secretion of type I IFNs. We could show that the induction of transcription from the IFNb promoter in infected cells by NSDV/ GV is delayed and reduced when compared to another negative strand RNA virus ( fig. 1) . We do not observe the extensive delay described previously in CCHFV infected cells [21] ; however, that observed in our studies would give the NSDV enough time to establish its infection and produce progeny virions (which takes approx 12 hours in Vero or BHK21 cells).