Authorities in Great Britain have permitted the use of three unauthorised bluetongue virus (BTV) vaccines within the UK, which will be subject to licence.
The vaccination programme, which seeks to tackle BTV variant 3 (BTV-3), will be rolled out on a phased basis and will initially target areas of higher risk along the east coast.
Vaccination for BTV-3 is also sanctioned to only be used in emergency circumstances in certain countries where the variant has been identified to be in circulation: The Netherlands; Germany; Belgium; France; Luxembourg and most recently, Great Britain.
As EU-wide authorisation is still pending, the BTV-3 vaccines are not currently widely commercially available.
Unlike some of the authorised BTV vaccines for other strains, the BTV-3 vaccines can help reduce the levels of infection and the severity of symptoms, but may not prevent animals from contaminating the disease.
Notably, unauthorised BTV vaccines cannot be used to certify animals for trade purposes, as they do not meet the prerequisite EU trade standards.
However, licensed BTV vaccines for variants 1, 4 and 8 have been authorised by the relevant authorities, which can be used to facilitate trade of sheep around the bloc, including to Ireland.
Situation in the UK
BTV-3 has been confirmed in both sheep and cattle on 34 premises across England since the first incidence of outbreak on August 26, 2024.
As of September 9, 2024, these cases have been prevalent on the east coast of England in Suffolk, Essex, Norfolk and Yorkshire and The Department for Environment Food & Rural affairs (Defra) in Great Britain has subsequently implemented restrictions upon affected farms.
A 20km temporary control zones (TCZ) has been established around the affected BTV-3 premises in Yorkshire, with restrictions in the south of the country where most outbreaks have been identified extended to cover the entire counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.
The import of livestock from the UK (excluding Northern Ireland) to Ireland has ceased since BTV was first detected in England back in November 2023.
Semen may be still imported provided the relevant animal health requirements for BTV can be certified, however this is not without risk, according to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
Bluetongue
BTV is a notifiable exotic disease that affects ruminant animals, which is mostly spread via infected biting midges.
Activity levels are dependent on temperatures, so mild weather conditions may see midge activity persisting for longer.
There are many different types of strains in circulation however BTV-3 is currently the most prevalent of variants and is spreading rapidly across north-west Europe.
Although testing and animal health legislative requirements are in place for animals entering Ireland, there is a risk that BTV could still enter the country via an undetected animal who does not display clinical signs of infection.
Therefore, anyone importing animals from mainland Europe should do so with caution and only during the months of December to March, when midge activity is at its lowest.
The DAFM is urging all livestock owners to remain vigilant for any suspicion of BTV and to report any such suspicions to their local Regional Veterinary Office immediately while isolating the animals demonstrating symptoms.
Symptoms of bluetongue include:
- Fever;
- Loss of appetite;
- Drop in milk yield;
- Drooling and discharge;
- Abortion or deformities in offspring/foetus;
- Swelling of the face, lips and tongue;
- Breathing difficulties;
- Sores on the nose, gums and dental pads.
