sheep

ANPEA sheep infected with bluetongue

NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 17:42

More than 37,000 sheep have died from bluetongue. Adult sheep (older than one year old) in particular are affected by the virus, according to an analysis by the Royal GD laboratory.

Ruminants infected with bluetongue may experience swollen joints, limping and drooling. Last September 6, it was announced that the virus had been found in the Netherlands. The Netherlands then had more than 900,000 sheep.

In three months, bluetongue was subsequently detected at more than 5,500 locations, the analysis shows. The monitoring included data up to and including the end of October.

On livestock farms that have had to deal with bluetongue, an average of a quarter of the sheep died. It is not yet clear why mainly adult sheep succumbed to the virus, compared to lambs.

Almost no deaths from bluetongue have been found among goats, which are also ruminants. The mortality rates of other ruminants, such as cattle and alpacas, were not included in the analysis.

At the beginning of October we made this video in the stable of Co de Wildt, who saw many sheep die:

‘As long as we don’t have a vaccine, it’s a dead end battle’

The danger has not passed. In the spring the midge can become more active again. Steps are being taken to deploy a vaccine on livestock farms. In the best scenario, this vaccine will be available by mid-2024.

Not every animal dies from bluetongue. Some recover from the virus. Research is being conducted into that group.

2023-12-08 16:42:02
#sheep #dead #due #bluetongue #goats #affected

The outbreak of bluetongue among several Drenthe farmers is taking a heavy toll on animal keepers. This is what LTO-Noord director Dirk Bruins says. Bluetongue was diagnosed at three Drenthe companies yesterday. According to Bruins, there is little that can be done about it. “Horseful to have to go through.”

Bluetongue was diagnosed yesterday at three Drenthe companies in Beilen, Havelte and Wapse. Until then, no bluetongue had appeared in our province. The viral disease appeared in the Netherlands for the first time in a long time at the beginning of September.

“Animals become seriously ill,” says Dirk Bruins, director of LTO-Noord. “I visited one of our members yesterday, at a company that has been affected. Half the sheep just died.”

The disease is transmitted by midges, very small biting flies, and mainly affects sheep, but cattle and goats can also become ill. According to the NVWA, alpacas and deer are also at risk. Zoo animals such as camels, dromedaries, giraffes and okapis can also become infected. Companies where bluetongue outbreaks have a reporting obligation.

According to Bruins, when bluetongue is found there is often ‘nothing to be done about it’. “Treatment with antibiotics is often attempted. But the veins in particular are damaged, they start to leak. And whatever you do, it doesn’t help. It makes animals seriously ill, often resulting in death.”

Antibiotics are often given at random, says Bruins, and it is difficult to say whether they will work. “They may have been stung a little less often by the midges. We don’t know everything about it yet and a lot of research is being done. And if it affects the joints, antibiotics might help. Farmers just try it. You just want an animal like that to survive. Very often it is against your better judgment. It is very horrible to have to go through that.”

The virus is clearly recognizable in animals, says Bruins. “Often inflammation of the joints. The tongue turns bluish and one of the first symptoms is that they do not want to eat because they have a very sore mouth, with mucus coming out of it. The animals lose weight very quickly.” The animals also have a high fever, are lame and have a rounded back. Bluetongue is not transmissible to humans.

According to Bruins, this form is more severe than previous outbreaks and there is a ‘very high chance’ that infected animals will die from bluetongue. “This form causes much more damage. Animals become much sicker. Putting animals inside and turning on fans so that there is some wind seems to help. Those midges hate that, so they are less inclined to come. “

In addition, the temperature plays a major role. “It is hoped that it will get colder soon. If it gets colder than ten degrees, the midges will not be able to survive.”

The farmers it happens to are powerless and that puts a heavy burden on animal farmers, says Bruins. “You’ve been breeding sheep for years and then you have this. Every day the vet comes by and you try to do what you can, but you see it breaking down under your fingers. That’s really horrible. These people go through a deep valley.”

Because of the mental blow that farmers can suffer, LTO offers psychological help, says Bruins. “It affects people a lot. So we are doing everything we can. First of all, by trying to ensure that a vaccine is developed and approved as quickly as possible, so that this virus can be prevented. And also by helping people, mentally but also financially.”

2023-10-10 10:00:51
#LTO #North #director #Drenthe #bluetongue #outbreak #breaking #fingers