The UK’s chief veterinary officer has announced that the country is now in the seasonal vector low period for bluetongue virus, due to the drop in temperatures, which will see an ease in restrictions in place.
This means that the rate of infection for the bluetongue virus is expected to be lower on account of reduced midge activity resulting from the influx of colder weather forecasts.
As a result, the government has announced that certain restrictions currently in place to curb the spread of infection have now eased, as of midday yesterday (January 21). These include:
- Removing the requirements for post-movement testing of animals out of the restricted zone;
- The use of insecticide on transport vehicles;
- The need to send animals moving outside of the restricted zone for slaughter to designated abattoirs.
As a precautionary measure, the government has agreed that the restricted zone currently in place across affected regions along the east and south coast of England will remain in place while discussions with industry stakeholders continue.
It will also continue to require all animals moving out of the restricted zone to have a pre-movement test unless going direct to slaughter or to a dedicated slaughter market, and farmers must continue to apply for a license to freeze germinal products within the restricted zone also.
Seasonal vector low period
UK chief veterinary officer, Christine Middlemiss, said:
“We are now in a seasonally vector low period when midge activity is lower, with a significantly reduced risk of disease from biting midges, meaning we can ease some of the measures in place to mitigate disease spread.
“However, I would urge farmers to remain vigilant and report any livestock they suspect have the disease to APHA (Animal and Plant Health Agency). We are committed to working with everyone affected and will continue to keep the restricted zone under review.”
She also urged farmers to continue monitoring livestock for clinical signs of the disease on a regular basis, ensuring their animals and land are registered with the Animal and Plant Health Agency so that animals can be located in the event of a future outbreak.
According to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, three new cases of Bluetongue virus were confirmed on January 17, all within pre-existing restricted zones. These included:
- Two calves with neurological signs were confirmed positive in the restricted zone in Suffolk following a private test;
- One bovine was confirmed positive in the restricted zone in Oxfordshire following surveillance testing;
- Two cattle were confirmed positive in the restricted zone in Suffolk following a previous non-negative pre-movement test.
