Lack of SBV information raises concerns
Farm industry leaders have expressed concern over the lack of available information on Schmallenberg (SBV). The latest AHVLA figures indicate the virus has spread throughout England and Wales, with over 1,200 farms affected. Some sheep farmers have seen lambing losses of up to 30 per cent.
Though Defra has classified the virus as low impact, the National Sheep Association (NSA) has said this provides only a general picture, underestimating the impact of the virus on some farms. Chief executive Phil Stocker said: "Reports of SBV are incredibly wide ranging, with some of our members experiencing serious losses and others, even those who saw the disease hit hard last year, finding they've no problem at all this time around.
"This seems to reflect what's going on throughout the UK, with Defra's 'low impact' disease status being true for the overall picture, but dramatically understating the terrible situation some farmers have found themselves in."
In an attempt to address the problem, the NSA has lobbied for the creation of an industry-led survey to provide a more complete picture of the effects of the virus. Mr Stocker added: "Only then will we improve our understanding of the disease and how a vaccine might be best used to protect ewes next lambing time."
Despite these concerns, Defra's deputy chief veterinary officer Alick Simmonds believes the government's response to the virus has been appropriate. "What we have done is try to understand the impact per farm and extrapolate from there and compare it with diseases such as foot rot, lameness in cattle, BVD and a number of other endemic diseases.
"The conclusion we have reached is that even if the impact is at the severe end of the estimates, the cost to the national herd and flock is still going to be substantially less than the majority of endemic diseases."
Simmonds continued: "From the outset we wanted to understand where the disease was, albeit not at a herd level, and provide as much advice to farmers and private vets as possible, and develop a research portfolio and we have done that."
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.
