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Bluetongue is making a comeback, Wiersma wants more research

The bluetongue virus, which can be fatal to cows, goats and sheep, is making a comeback. This is evident from a letter from Agriculture Minister Wiersma to the House of Representatives. The first infection since the winter was detected on June 14, and there are now 67 suspected cases. One sheep has died, Wiersma writes. The affected companies are mainly located in the Betuwe, North Limburg and the Achterhoek. Most animals had now been vaccinated.

There are great concerns in the agricultural sector and among experts about the return of the virus.

This reappeared in the Netherlands last winter after about fifteen years of absence and led to the death of tens of thousands of sheep, cows and goats. Adult sheep were particularly affected.

The virus is transmitted by midges, small mosquitoes. It causes ruminants such as cows, sheep and goats to become ill, including fever, stiff legs, a swollen tongue and inflammation of the hooves. There is no treatment yet for the latest variant of bluetongue.

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Vaccination did start this spring. Wiersma writes that it seems as if there is a greater spread in the severity of the symptoms, with some of the animals becoming seriously ill and others having milder symptoms. "As is often the case with other vaccines, the vaccines cannot prevent animals from becoming infected and becoming ill," Wiersma said.

To get a better picture of the situation, she wants to have further research done. She expects the number of infections to rise in the coming months. Based on the experiences of 2007 and 2008, it is expected that the "peak of the number of infections will occur in August and September". Wiersma is closely monitoring the situation, she writes.

She also points out that there is a reporting obligation for bluetongue and that new suspicions must be reported to the NVWA.

Bluetongue has been observed in Australia, the US, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Europe. An outline of the transmission cycle of BTV is illustrated in article  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parasitic_flies_of_domestic_animals - Parasitic flies of domestic animals .

Its occurrence is seasonal in the affected  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean - Mediterranean  countries, subsiding when temperatures drop and hard frosts kill the adult midge  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vector_%28epidemiology%29 - vectors . ^{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetongue_disease#cite_note-12 - [12]}  Viral survival and vector longevity is seen during milder winters. ^{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetongue_disease#cite_note-13 - [13]}  A significant contribution to the northward spread of bluetongue disease has been the ability of C. obsoletus and C.pulicaris to acquire and transmit the pathogen, both of which are spread widely throughout Europe. This is in contrast to the original C.imicola vector, which is limited to North Africa and the Mediterranean. The relatively recent novel vector has facilitated a far more rapid spread than the simple expansion of habitats north through global warming. ^{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetongue_disease#cite_note-14 - [14]}

In August 2006, cases of bluetongue were found in the Netherlands, then Belgium, Germany, and Luxembourg. ^{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetongue_disease#cite_note-15 - [15] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetongue_disease#cite_note-jdfxyd-16 - [16]}  In 2007, the first case of bluetongue in the Czech Republic was detected in one bull near  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheb - Cheb  at the Czech-German border. ^{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetongue_disease#cite_note-17 - [17]}  In September 2007, the UK reported its first ever suspected case of the disease, in a Highland cow on a rare-breeds farm near  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ipswich,_Suffolk - Ipswich, Suffolk . ^{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetongue_disease#cite_note-18 - [18]}  Since then, the virus has spread from cattle to sheep in Britain. ^{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetongue_disease#cite_note-19 - [19]}  By October 2007, bluetongue had become a serious threat in Scandinavia and Switzerland ^{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetongue_disease#cite_note-20 - [20]}  and the first outbreak in Denmark was reported. ^{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetongue_disease#cite_note-21 - [21]}  In autumn 2008, several cases were reported in the southern Swedish provinces of Småland, Halland, and Skåne, ^{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetongue_disease#cite_note-22 - [22]}  as well as in areas of the Netherlands bordering Germany, prompting veterinary authorities in Germany to intensify controls. ^{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetongue_disease#cite_note-23 - [23]}  Norway had its first finding in February 2009, when cows at two farms in  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vest-Agder - Vest-Agder  in the south of Norway showed an immune response to bluetongue. ^{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetongue_disease#cite_note-24 - [24]}  Norway was declared free of the disease in 2011. ^{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetongue_disease#cite_note-25 - [25]}  As of November 2023, cases of bluetongue have been recorded in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Spain, and the UK. ^{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetongue_disease#cite_note-26 - [26]}

Although the disease is not a threat to humans, the most vulnerable common domestic ruminants are cattle, goats, and especially, sheep.

July 2, 2024

Midges found on sheep and cattle farms are frequently infected with bluetongue virus serotype 3. This is evident from analysis by the NVWA Centre for Vector Monitoring (NVWA-CMV) and Wageningen Bioveterinary Research (WBVR, part of Wageningen University & Research).

Sharp increase in bluetongue in Gelderland, six times more infections

July 18, 2024

This year's first case of bluetongue in the Netherlands was confirmed on 14 June 2024. Since the confirmation of bluetongue serotype 3 in Ommeren, Gelderland, several dozen suspicions have been reported to the Dutch Food and Consumer Safety Authority (NVWA).

Spain: BLUETONGUE OUTBREAK IN MALLORCA: AT LEAST 22 ANIMALS ARE KILLED AFTER INSECT-BORNE DISEASE SWEEPS THROUGH FARMS