Defra announces vaccination changes
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has announced changes to the rules surrounding Bluetongue virus (BTV) vaccination. This means farmers will be able to protect their animals from Bluetongue in areas that are disease free from Friday August 24th.
Before this new change in legislation, only animals in disease zones could be vaccinated. The alterations will allow farmers to protect them from Bluetongue in case of a future disease outbreak, though Defra said the current risk is ‘very low’.
BTV was first identified in 2006 in northern Europe. The virus affects most ruminants, including cattle, sheep, camelids, goats and deer. However, sheep are the most severely affected and have the highest mortality rate.
Symptoms of the virus include high fever, excessive salivation, swelling of the face and tongue and cyanosis of the tongue. Nasal discharge and stertorous respiration may also be apparent. The sickest animals usually die within a week.
Since the appearance of BTV, vaccination in affected areas has taken place and stringent checks have been introduced to ensure animals imported into the country are free of the disease. There are also plans in place to deal with the disease if it ever came back into the country, such as movement restrictions, which would be employed in the event of a case being identified.
A spokesman said: "The EU's decision allows farmers to protect their animals from BTV in areas which are disease free. Previously, only animals in disease areas could be vaccinated.
"[This] means that farmers can make decisions about whether they want to vaccinate their animals to protect them from BTV in case of a future disease outbreak."
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.
