No trace of Schmallenberg in Irish livestock
“There is no evidence that the disease is present in Ireland,” said Minister of State for Food, Horticulture and Food Safety Shane McEntee. However, he revealed that there is no suitable routine test to prove it is not present, because no blood test exists for appropriate surveillance.
Tests carried out so far at the Department of Agriculture’s central veterinary research laboratory employed a polymerase chain reaction, essentially a DNA test.
Meanwhile, concerns over the Schmallenberg and bluetongue viruses were cited by Russia’s food safety and veterinary watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor, as it announced plans to ban livestock imports from all EU countries, from Mar 20. The ban includes pigs — though neither the Schmallenberg virus nor bluetongue is associated with pigs. There are no trade implications for movement of animals or products within the EU.
Schmallenberg virus in sheep, cattle and goats has been recorded in seven EU states — Germany, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the UK, the Netherlands and Italy, on about 1,000 farms. It is mostly showing up as congenital malformation in newborn and aborted animals, mainly sheep.
Experts have determined that the time during which the virus circulates in the bloodstream of an infected animal, and is thus infectious, is short. It is part of the Simbu group of viruses, primarily transmitted by insects. There is no evidence of direct animal-to-animal transmission, other than from mother to offspring in utero. Therefore the risk of disease spread is minimal in the colder insect-free months.
Exposure to the similar Akabane virus, which is widespread in Australia, induces strong immunity in the infected animal.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the Health Protection Agency said the virus is unlikely to cause disease in humans. In Britain, the Food Standards Agency advised the public that, based on current evidence, there is unlikely to be any risk to consumers through the food chain. But surveillance and investigations were ongoing.
