The latest figures from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) have shown that there are 83 bluetongue cases in England on 44 premises in three counties.
This comes following an active surveillance of premises in the Norfolk temporary control zone (TCZ), where seven new cases of bluetongue in cattle have been confirmed at a premises near Norwich.
Defra confirmed that due to the current seasonally vector low period, the positive animals will not be culled but will be restricted at their current locations and disease mitigation measures will be taken. The TCZ is not being extended.
Since February 1, 17 new cases of the disease have been confirmed, one of which was found in a sheep.
Due to a decrease in temperature, there is a seasonally vector low period, when midge activity is much lower, and they are not actively feeding.
A specific licence to move live animals out of the TCZ is available, subject to pre-movement testing and other licence conditions. These licences will only apply during periods of low vector activity and will not apply to animals that test positive in a pre-movement test.
A number of different types (serotypes) of bluetongue are circulating in Europe including:
- BTV-1;
- BTV-3;
- BTV-4;
- BTV-8.
In Great Britain, bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) has been found in Kent and Norfolk.
There is no vaccine available for bluetongue virus serotype 3 (BTV-3). This is the serotype that has been confirmed in Great Britain.
Defra confirmed that it is possible to “vaccinate animals against serotypes 1, 2, 4 and 8”.
The vaccination, Defra stated, would mean “it can take up to six weeks for your animals to be fully immune” and that “your animals will require a period of time for immunity to develop following vaccination and may need two doses of the vaccine, three weeks apart”.
