The National Sheep Association (NSA) is calling for increased vigilance amongst the nation’s sheep farmers to protect their flocks, after the latest risk assessment quantifying the risk of bluetongue virus (BTV-3).
Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) confirmed that there is a high probability of BTV being introduced to livestock in Britain through infected biting midges, which is being blown over to the UK from Northern Europe.
NSA chief executive, Phil Stocker said that there is concern over how BTV-3 might affect the livestock sector this season.
He added that there has been a lot of discussion within the industry and with Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) about how to best deal with this issue when it arrives.
The NSA added that the BTV-3 strain was first identified in the UK last November in cattle and sheep in South East England but with midges having reduced activity over winter due to colder temperatures, the risk of disease was lowered.
Mr. Stocker added:
“NSA continues to urge sheep farmers to be vigilant to the signs of BTV-3 in their livestock, especially as there is no licensed vaccine available in the UK.
“We are encouraging the government in their engagement with vaccine manufacturers on the development and authorisation of a vaccine for use in the UK.”
The risk of virus transmission is now expected to increase as temperatures rise but currently, despite the increase in midge activity, the risk of transmission remains low, according to the NSA.
Stocker stated that the Netherlands has employed an “emergency use” vaccination programme and if it gets wide uptake over there, it may help keep infection from arriving to the UK.
The NSA added that the suspicion of bluetongue in animals must be reported to the Animal and Plant Health Agency immediately. For more information on this and also on the symptoms to look out for in sheep, visit the government website.
Bluetongue and midge control
Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep (SCOPS) advisor, Lesley Stubbings said air movement is key, as well as noting that midges are most active during dusk and dawn.
“Farmers should act to maximise natural ventilation, particularly by taking advantage of hills, wind and rain,” she said.
“Midge control through increased wind speed may reduce midge biting rate but it won’t eliminate all biting and therefore won’t necessarily prevent bluetongue transmission.
“As we know, it only takes a single bite from a single infected midge to reliably transmit BTV-3,” the advisor explained.
The small practical insight from the Netherlands feels better than doing nothing, Stubbings added, and will be a tactic farmers can act on to potentially help midge control on farm.
