bluetongue

Despite the cold weeks, new cases of bluetongue have been reported in Flevoland in the past three weeks. This concerns a total of fifteen sick animals. This is reported by the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).

The increase is less significant than in the previous weeks. A total of 172 cases have now been counted in the province. Nearly 5,800 animals have become ill throughout the Netherlands.

Most in NOP
Most cases are still reported in Noordoostpolder. Six more have been added in recent weeks, so that 74 infections have now been counted.

The number of infections also increased in other municipalities. Three new infections were reported everywhere in Dronten, Almere and Zeewolde. No new cases are known in Lelystad.

The NVWA reports in its figures that there are no infections in Urk yet. According to an employee of the De Stekplek petting zoo, that is not true. Sheep there would also have been sick with the virus. Knut less active
The bluetongue virus is spread by the midge, a type of small mosquito. The insect becomes less active when temperatures drop and therefore there have been fewer infections recently.

Nevertheless, we have not completely got rid of the bluetongue virus, says researcher Melle Holwerda of Wageningen Bioveterinary Research from Lelystad. “It is possible that the midges enter the stables. In this way, the virus can get through the winter and return in the spring.”

What are the consequences of a bluetongue infection?
If a sheep or goat becomes infected, the animal can often no longer be saved. The virus attacks the inside of the blood vessels. Ulcers form in the mouth and are extremely painful. As a result, infected sheep stop eating.

In animals that are very sick, the tongue turns blue. They also have a high fever, drool, walk lame and have a rounded back.

2023-12-05 20:04:37
#cold #infections #bluetongue #Flevoland

New sheep are still becoming infected with bluetongue and due to the mild autumn, the end is not yet in sight. A vaccine will have to wait for the time being.

‘It is still 15 degrees, the midges remain active. The spread will weaken slightly with rain and wind, but I still expect new infections in the coming weeks,” says Reinard Everts, veterinarian and director of the Dutch Sheep and Goat Breeders’ Organization (NSFO).

To suppress the virus, it must be cold for two weeks, a maximum of 10 degrees. But the weather forecasts do not show that type of weather. Everts notices that heavy rain and wind dampen the spread. ‘Five to seven days later we see fewer sick animals. But when the mild autumn weather returns, the number of infections will also increase again.’

Vaccine

There is no suitable vaccine available in the Netherlands yet. Eyes were on a vaccine from South Africa, but that process has been halted for the time being because there is insufficient information to determine whether it is safe enough. Everts: ‘So we are really dependent on a vaccine that is produced in Europe. Various pharmaceutical companies are busy working on this, but it is unknown if and when it will come onto the market.’

To date, one in eight Dutch sheep farms has had to deal with mortality due to bluetongue. A total of 3,500 to 4,000 sheep farms in the Netherlands have now been infected, according to figures from the NSFO.

Everts keeps track every day of how many sheep die from bluetongue. “That number is already 30,000 and that is a conservative estimate.” The total sheep population is almost 1 million animals.

At an average value of 150 euros per animal, the NSFO chairman estimates the damage to the sector at 4.5 million euros. If you add the costs of Rendac (approximately 25 euros per animal) and medicine (approximately 20 euros per animal), the damage will approach 10 million euros by the end of this year. “This is apart from the extra labor that sheep farmers have spent on the animals,” Everts emphasizes.

Consequential damage

Almost half (45 percent) of infected farms lost at least a fifth of their flock. Everts expects that the consequential damage will also be extensive, ewes are mated later and the virus has an impact on litter size. ‘How that will actually turn out is anyone’s guess.’

It is also not yet clear how the virus ended up in the Netherlands. The type does not resemble viruses from Italy, Israel and South Africa. Everts calls the story that the contamination came via household waste from Rome far-fetched, because the spread of the virus does not fit with the location of the waste incinerator in Amsterdam. In addition, the virus does not genetically resemble the type 3 virus previously found in Italy.

2023-10-31 15:21:00
#sheep #dead #due #bluetongue