EC warns on SBV trade restrictions
The European Commission has issued a statement advising countries contemplating a ban on trading livestock with EU member states in light of the spread of the Schmallenberg Virus (SBV) that such a step would be “disproportionate and scientifically unjustified.” The Russian Federation has already imposed a ban on trading livestock, and as many as another ten nations are believed to be considering bans of their own. Such harm to trade could have grave implications for the UK farming sector.
The statement by the Commission argues that the impact of the Schmallenberg Virus “is much less than the one caused by bluetongue” and that the risk to humans “is negligible and that animal products such as milk and meat do not pose any risk of disease transmission”.
The statement goes on to say that “Under EU rules only movements of healthy animals as well as the collection of their semen, embryos and the marketing of their products (meat, milk etc) are allowed; accordingly, diseased animals and their products are not traded. Taking into account the limited impact of the disease on animal health and according to available knowledge, consider trade restrictions due to the occurrence of Schmallenberg virus in the EU as disproportionate and scientifically unjustified.”
With Strangles Awareness Week just around the corner (5-11 May), vets are being encouraged to share a survey about the disease with their horse-owning clients.
