Bluetongue awareness.

greysides

The Dept of Ag. have circulated an advisory about Bluetongue.



Bluetongue virus (BTV) is prevalent in Europe and is a threat to Irish ruminants with BTV serotype 8 having reached the north coast of France. The whole of France is a bluetongue restricted zone. BTV serotype 4 has also emerged in the eastern France. Since 2015 France has had 3999 bluetongue outbreaks (up to May 13th 2018).
The bluetongue vector(midge) season in Ireland is likely to be between late April and early December.
Bluetongue may be introduced to Ireland via infected vectors (e.g. midges), imported animals harbouring BTV, or animal products (e.g. semen).
Anyone importing ruminant animals from bluetongue affected countries should take particular care when sourcing their animals as this is the most likely route of introduction of the bluetongue virus into Ireland.
Infected animals may not show any clinical signs and will only be detected through testing their blood for BTV and even animals with bluetongue vaccination records may harbour BTV.
If bluetongue is introduced to Ireland, it could have a major impact on our export markets. Also, the control measures required by the EU would have a significant impact on herd management.

The virus is transmitted by biting midges of the genus Culicoides and not normally from direct contact with infected animals. Peak midge populations occur during the late summer and autumn in Europe and therefore this is the time when Bluetongue is most commonly seen. The midges can be carried very large distances on the wind (over 200km) and this has been the primary way Bluetongue serotypes are introduced into new areas.
The disease can mimic other diseases so it needs to be borne in mind. This may be more important near the SE and S coasts as it was a plume of air that originated in NW France that brought the infected midges to England in the 2006 outbreak although that seems less likely here.

CATTLE

To my mind the most important differentiation to make is whether it is Photosensitisation or not.

The signs in cattle include:

Fever up to (40.0ºC)
Nasal discharge
Swelling of the head and neck
Conjunctivitis (runny eyes) without eye lesions
Swelling in, and ulceration of the mouth
Swollen teats
Saliva drooling out of the mouth
Abortion.

Most of these can be caused by Photosensitisation. But Photosensitisation is most likely going to present with one animal at a time whereas BT is more likely to be a group presentation.

This could be a bad respiratory virus infection but it's not.



And this isn't IBR:



The swollen area under the jaw could be due to Photosensitisation, she has white on her head but its not.



These show the conjunctivitis, nasal erosions and teat lesions that may accompany the disease.



The most important differential diagnosis is foot and mouth disease where there is profuse salivation, lameness and high rectal temperatures rapidly spreading to affect all cattle on the premises. The other differential diagnoses are infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (group or herd) and malignant catarrhal fever in individual cattle.

SHEEP:

The clinical signs of Bluetongue, which vary depending upon viral strain and sheep breed, follow an incubation period of four to 12 days. Usually, only a small percentage of sheep develop clinical signs, however deaths in some flocks can be as high as 70%. In extensively managed flocks, unexplained sudden deaths may be the first evidence of disease. Animals that survive the disease can lose condition with a reduction in meat and wool production.

Affected sheep have a fever (up to 42.0°C) and appear stiff and reluctant to move. They often adopt an arched back stance with the neck extended and the head held lowered. There is swelling of the face and ears, and also pulmonary oedema which may cause breathing difficulties. Erosions may appear on the lips progressing to ulcers. There is often profuse salivation, and a serous to mucopurulent nasal discharge. There may be reddening of the coronary band, and around the muzzle and mouth. The tongue may become swollen and lack of oxygen may make the tongue and mucous membranes appear blue (hence the name of the disease). Though this does not always occur. Bluetongue can also cause pregnant sheep to abort and infection during the breeding season may result in a large percentage of early embryonic losses with sheep returning to oestrus at irregular intervals. Foetal deformities similar to those seen with Schmallenberg virus can also sometimes occur.





Pictures and information taken mainly from Dept of Agriculture releases and from NADIS.

Base price

Thanks for the informative post Greysides.
TBH in my ignorance I reckoned that we, as an island nation, would be isolated enough not to succumb to Bluetongue

Mooooo

A lot of cows imported to the UK from Europe so may not be far away. If midges are the vectors would the areas where the first case of schmallenberg occurred be possibly the first areas to keep an eye on?

greysides

Mooooo wrote: »

A lot of cows imported to the UK from Europe so may not be far away. If midges are the vectors would the areas where the first case of schmallenberg occurred be possibly the first areas to keep an eye on?

I would think so.

greysides

If anyone wants to read a blow-by-blow account of the 2007 BT outbreak in the UK and the havoc and turmoil it caused you can do so here.

Gawddawggonnit

From being in the midst of a blue tongue area, it must be added that it’s not too bad.
I was a ‘control’ Farm last year.
I lost a weanling to it a couple of years ago. That’s all.

Don’t panic.

All it does is affect export markets, imho.

Base price

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

From being in the midst of a blue tongue area, it must be added that it’s not too bad.
I was a ‘control’ Farm last year.
I lost a weanling to it a couple of years ago. That’s all.

Don’t panic.

All it does is affect export markets, imho.

That is a major problem.

Gawddawggonnit

Base price wrote: »

That is a major problem.

It could be a whole lot worse...


And I was wondering why the price of calves rocketed...

greysides

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

From being in the midst of a blue tongue area, it must be added that it’s not too bad.

This link address chronicles the saga in the UK prior to, and during, the 2007 outbreak there. It gives an idea of the hassle caused by the imposition of control/protection and surveillance zones. I have the impression the UK was caught with their trousers down like we were when FMD arrived in 2001 (?). We may be better prepared now than they were then but I expect there would still be a bit of catching up with the game to be done. We could do well without it.


How is bluetongue controlled if it is detected here?

The EU and national legislation to deal with the control of BT broadly follows the
arrangements in place for other diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease and Avian
Influenza etc., but are more extensive given the disease is spread by insect vectors.

The measures for BT include:

 Establishment of Control (20km), Protection (100km) and Surveillance (150km)
Zones around the infected holding.
 Movement restrictions within and from these zones.
 Confinement of animals indoors at times when the insect vector is active.
 Control / eradication of the vector by destruction of habitats and use of insecticides.
 Slaughter of infected / suspected animals, only if necessary to prevent spread of the
disease, with destruction of carcases.
 Vector monitoring (light traps).
 Vaccination.

Why should I be concerned about BT?

The movement of cattle or sheep would be controlled within and from the restriction zones,
including the 150km surveillance zone, and exports of live animals would be subject to restrictions.
Controls would be kept in place until there is no further risk of spread, but may
be relaxed during the period when the insect vectors are not active (the vector free period).
However the loss of BT free status may have a very significant affect on Ireland’s ability to
trade with countries outside the EU.


https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/media/migration/animalhealthwelfare/diseasecontrols/bluetonguedisease/BluetongueDiseaseFAQs2017080817.pdf

Subject to correction, it is my understanding that there is no movement in or out of a Control zone. Animals can move around within a Protection zone but not out. Animals can move around within a Surveillance zone or from it into a Protection zone. This has implications for bringing animals home from an outfarm, a heifer rearing farm, to market, to or from winterage/commonage.

Gawddawggonnit

greysides wrote: »

This link address chronicles the saga in the UK prior to, and during, the 2007 outbreak there. It gives an idea of the hassle caused by the imposition of control/protection and surveillance zones. I have the impression the UK was caught with their trousers down like we were when FMD arrived in 2001 (?). We may be better prepared now than they were then but I expect there would still be a bit of catching up with the game to be done. We could do well without it.


How is bluetongue controlled if it is detected here?

The EU and national legislation to deal with the control of BT broadly follows the
arrangements in place for other diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease and Avian
Influenza etc., but are more extensive given the disease is spread by insect vectors.

The measures for BT include:

 Establishment of Control (20km), Protection (100km) and Surveillance (150km)
Zones around the infected holding.
 Movement restrictions within and from these zones.
 Confinement of animals indoors at times when the insect vector is active.
 Control / eradication of the vector by destruction of habitats and use of insecticides.
 Slaughter of infected / suspected animals, only if necessary to prevent spread of the
disease, with destruction of carcases.
 Vector monitoring (light traps).
 Vaccination.

Why should I be concerned about BT?

The movement of cattle or sheep would be controlled within and from the restriction zones,
including the 150km surveillance zone, and exports of live animals would be subject to restrictions.
Controls would be kept in place until there is no further risk of spread, but may
be relaxed during the period when the insect vectors are not active (the vector free period).
However the loss of BT free status may have a very significant affect on Ireland’s ability to
trade with countries outside the EU.


https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/media/migration/animalhealthwelfare/diseasecontrols/bluetonguedisease/BluetongueDiseaseFAQs2017080817.pdf

Subject to correction, it is my understanding that there is no movement in or out of a Control zone. Animals can move around within a Protection zone but not out. Animals can move around within a Surveillance zone or from it into a Protection zone. This has implications for bringing animals home from an outfarm, a heifer rearing farm, to market, to or from winterage/commonage.

Yep, could definitely do without it...

Calves can be exported but they need to be vaccinated, and tested for antibodies 21 days after vaccination. I don’t know about older animals though. That’s the system here anyway.

As for animal health it doesn’t seem to be catastrophic or anything like it. The main hassle is the restriction on movement.