Bluetongue virus is in England

[How Dairy]

https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2024-08-27/uks-first-case-of-insect-borne-virus-found-at-farm

This is a big deal. There is free testing in the 5 high risk counties (Norfolk, Suffolk, Kent, Sussex, Essex). DO NOT purchase animals from these counties that have not taken advantage of the free testing.

Info here https://ruminanthw.org.uk/bluetongue-virus/

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2024-08-27/uks-first-case-of-insect-borne-virus-found-at-farm

This is a big deal. There is free testing in the 5 high risk counties (Norfolk, Suffolk, Kent, Sussex, Essex). DO NOT purchase animals from these counties that have not taken advantage of the free testing.

Info here https://ruminanthw.org.uk/bluetongue-virus/

Its NOT the animals you want to worry about. It is the movement of the Midges.

Fortunately the prevailing winds are still from the south and west which will limit spread.

 

[SteveHants]

Its NOT the animals you want to worry about. It is the movement of the Midges.

Fortunately the prevailing winds are still from the south and west which will limit spread.

But you still wouldn't buy untested animals in case they had already been bitten and were therefore carrying BTV.....

 

[gone up the hill]

But you still wouldn't buy untested animals in case they had already been bitten and were therefore carrying BTV.....

But they could still get bitten between when they are tested and you get the results back and they are moved.

This animal that has BT may have been infected last year anyway.

They need to trap some midges and test them to see if they are carrying BT.

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

But you still wouldn't buy untested animals in case they had already been bitten and were therefore carrying BTV.....

The test is only good on the day it is taken.
Not really a practical option.
APHA offered this so they didn't have to do banket testing which last year proved to be irrelevant and illogical.

 

[Yale]

Just in time for a blocking high to get established with warm weather and south easterly winds.

 

[How Dairy]

Its NOT the animals you want to worry about. It is the movement of the Midges.

Fortunately the prevailing winds are still from the south and west which will limit spread.

That is true re the wind but that is the only reason it hasn't got to Britain until now. But now it is here so .

I think if there is not a regional surveillance plan, there is risk of an infected animal moving up north (bear in mind some of those counties are TB4 so movement of cattle upwards is attractive). If that gets bitten by midges further North, you have an excellent vector. So my advice would be, if you are thinking of buying stock from those counties, ensure they are at least tested as there will be a lag to control measures.

 

[How Dairy]

But they could still get bitten between when they are tested and you get the results back and they are moved.

This animal that has BT may have been infected last year anyway.

They need to trap some midges and test them to see if they are carrying BT.

Just to point out, this is BTV3 not BTV8 that we have had before. There is no vaccine and it is fatal in sheep and causes morbidity in cattle.

 

[Filthyfarmer]

Posted this back in June on another bluetongue thread, quite technical in places for the vets but worth listening to the Dutch vet describing how it went through his flock with him and other vets trying to save animals only to end up euthanizing them.