Bluetongue disease could be in the wind
There is a ban on imports of live susceptible animals from affected areas, including Britain.
However, winds can carry infected midges up to 130 miles.
Meanwhile, a doubling of cases found in Suffolk since last Saturday demonstrated how virulent the disease can be.
Re-emerging after last winter and spring, bluetongue increased since July. Around 6,500 cases have been reported to date this year in Europe, up from 2,300 for the whole of 2006.
Up to 70% of infected sheep die. Cattle can harbour it without symptoms. But Debbie the Highland cow, the first bluetongue victim in britain was unwell on Sunday, September 16, dribbling profusely from the eyes on Monday, and had injured her udder due to scratching. On Tuesday, the vet found lesions on the feet and mouth, and tested for bluetongue.
Up to 10 years ago, bluetongue was considered an “exotic” disease.
But it moved from Africa, spread by small flies called midges, across Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, and into Britain two weeks ago.
In Britain, the Government will not slaughter infected livestock, although the authorities there foresee significant numbers of new cases in October and November, until all midges are killed off by temperatures below 15 degrees Centigrade.
British farmers have to notify authorities of the disease, nurse their animals and if necessary have them slaughtered themselves, without compensation.
Here, IFA Deputy President Derek Deane called for a ban on higher risk cargo — such as horses and plants — from bluetongue or foot and mouth areas in Britain.
He clarified that Irish live exports to Italy and Spain are free to transit through bluetongue restricted zones across the EU under strict veterinary supervision.
The Department of Agriculture confirmed to IFA that hay and straw is banned from the FMD surveillance zone in Surrey, and that they had rejected some farm machinery imports which they considered were higher risk.
Humans can safely eat meat from bluetongue infected animals and drink their milk, so an outbreak does not require banning of meat exports, but livestock movements are prohibited in infection zones.
All of Belgium and the Netherlands have been declared bluetongue infected, thus greatly restricting live animal exports from these countries, which has significantly impacted on the live sheep trade with southern Europe and the live calf trade from the Netherlands to Spain.
The same applies to most of the western side of Germany, resulting in German exporters flooding their competitively priced calves onto the Dutch veal market.
Bluetongue restrictions are also blamed for much of the 8,500 head reduction in exports of Irish store cattle over 300 kg to Italy.
But live calf exports to Spain are up 18% from Ireland, and 19% from France, a trend linked to the effect of bluetongue restrictions on Polish calf exports to Spain and Italy, which are down 40%.
Even if bluetongue vaccines are available next summer, movement restrictions will remain, and disruption of the EU live trade will continue in affected areas, for 12 months where there is vaccination, and for 24 months from the last outbreak, where no vaccinations were given.
