Tweet
Concerns grow over bluetongue threat to UK
DAN BUGLASS
RURAL AFFAIRS EDITOR (dan.farming@virgin.net)
SOME 12 months ago yesterday, the first case of avian flu in Scotland was identified in a dead mute swan in the Fife village of Cellardyke.
Fortunately this was an isolated incident, but this year there was a major outbreak of the disease at a Bernard Matthews turkey plant in Suffolk. The control measures proved effective, however, and no further cases have been detected.
But the fact is that the UK is at threat from a growing variety of animal diseases that have never been diagnosed on this side of the Channel. Currently, the major threat is an outbreak of bluetongue virus (BTV).
This affects all ruminants - cattle, sheep and goats - with varying degrees of fatality. BTV was normally seen as a problem in southern Europe, especially Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria.
However, late last summer the disease was identified for the first time in the Netherlands before also being found in Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and parts of northern France.
Sheep and goats were principally infected, but there were cases in cattle. Movement restrictions were imposed and this resulted in considerable difficulties for the livestock industry.
The Netherlands was particularly badly hit and the outbreak put a stop to all movements of sheep to France for slaughter, a traditional trade for many years.
BTV is spread by a midge and it had been hoped that the onset of winter and lower temperatures would halt the disease as the insect population died off. This has not happened and the real fear is that midges carrying the virus might be blown across the Channel to Kent, a county which has a large sheep population.
Peter Morris, the chief executive of the National Sheep Association, said: "It's been a particularly mild winter and the possibility of the midge landing here is real. We have had a series of meetings with Defra [Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs] and industry stakeholders. It's early days yet, but there is a basis for putting a contingency plan in place."
Defra considers BTV as an "economic disease" and may prove far less willing to pick up the bill for any subsequent slaughter than it did during the foot-and-mouth crisis.
The possibility of BTV moving to the more northerly regions of the UK appears for the moment remote, but Nigel Miller, vice-president of NFU Scotland, who is also a qualified vet, has been involved in the discussions.
Morris said: "If the disease arrives, then there will quite clearly have to be movement restriction. But an added worry is the fact that the strain of the disease on the continent is BTV 8 as compared to the more normal BTV 3 and 4, which causes problems in southern Europe.
"BTV 8 is a sub-Saharan strain and has never been previously identified in Europe before."
Restrictions are already in place in the UK. It is illegal to import animals from a restricted zone or pass through such an area. The National Beef Association is also urging members to be on their guard. Policy advisor Kim Haywood said: "The rules established to protect the UK are straightforward: the importation of any ruminant from a restricted zone is prohibited.
"Furthermore, the main ports of Calais and Dunkirk are covered by restrictions: no livestock passing through either can enter the UK. Any breach of the rules could result in a fine of ?5,000 and three months in jail. In addition, any livestock from a restricted zone could be slaughtered without compensation."
The import restrictions will, in practice, only affect breeders of pedigree Texel and Beltex sheep as well as Belgian Blue cattle. However, the consensus is that all that can be done in preparation for a possible BTV outbreak has been done.
However, there is nothing in terms of biosecurity that can be put in place to stop the vector midge being blown across the Channel and the balance of opinion appears to be not a case of if, but when BTV hits the UK.
DAN BUGLASS
RURAL AFFAIRS EDITOR (dan.farming@virgin.net)
SOME 12 months ago yesterday, the first case of avian flu in Scotland was identified in a dead mute swan in the Fife village of Cellardyke.
Fortunately this was an isolated incident, but this year there was a major outbreak of the disease at a Bernard Matthews turkey plant in Suffolk. The control measures proved effective, however, and no further cases have been detected.
But the fact is that the UK is at threat from a growing variety of animal diseases that have never been diagnosed on this side of the Channel. Currently, the major threat is an outbreak of bluetongue virus (BTV).
This affects all ruminants - cattle, sheep and goats - with varying degrees of fatality. BTV was normally seen as a problem in southern Europe, especially Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria.
However, late last summer the disease was identified for the first time in the Netherlands before also being found in Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and parts of northern France.
Sheep and goats were principally infected, but there were cases in cattle. Movement restrictions were imposed and this resulted in considerable difficulties for the livestock industry.
The Netherlands was particularly badly hit and the outbreak put a stop to all movements of sheep to France for slaughter, a traditional trade for many years.
BTV is spread by a midge and it had been hoped that the onset of winter and lower temperatures would halt the disease as the insect population died off. This has not happened and the real fear is that midges carrying the virus might be blown across the Channel to Kent, a county which has a large sheep population.
Peter Morris, the chief executive of the National Sheep Association, said: "It's been a particularly mild winter and the possibility of the midge landing here is real. We have had a series of meetings with Defra [Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs] and industry stakeholders. It's early days yet, but there is a basis for putting a contingency plan in place."
Defra considers BTV as an "economic disease" and may prove far less willing to pick up the bill for any subsequent slaughter than it did during the foot-and-mouth crisis.
The possibility of BTV moving to the more northerly regions of the UK appears for the moment remote, but Nigel Miller, vice-president of NFU Scotland, who is also a qualified vet, has been involved in the discussions.
Morris said: "If the disease arrives, then there will quite clearly have to be movement restriction. But an added worry is the fact that the strain of the disease on the continent is BTV 8 as compared to the more normal BTV 3 and 4, which causes problems in southern Europe.
"BTV 8 is a sub-Saharan strain and has never been previously identified in Europe before."
Restrictions are already in place in the UK. It is illegal to import animals from a restricted zone or pass through such an area. The National Beef Association is also urging members to be on their guard. Policy advisor Kim Haywood said: "The rules established to protect the UK are straightforward: the importation of any ruminant from a restricted zone is prohibited.
"Furthermore, the main ports of Calais and Dunkirk are covered by restrictions: no livestock passing through either can enter the UK. Any breach of the rules could result in a fine of ?5,000 and three months in jail. In addition, any livestock from a restricted zone could be slaughtered without compensation."
The import restrictions will, in practice, only affect breeders of pedigree Texel and Beltex sheep as well as Belgian Blue cattle. However, the consensus is that all that can be done in preparation for a possible BTV outbreak has been done.
However, there is nothing in terms of biosecurity that can be put in place to stop the vector midge being blown across the Channel and the balance of opinion appears to be not a case of if, but when BTV hits the UK.
Comment