Researchers want farmer input on Schmallenberg virus impact

Cases of the non-contagious, viral disease have been rising across the UK since autumn 2023
Cases of the non-contagious, viral disease have been rising across the UK since autumn 2023

Researchers want to gain a better understanding of the impact of the Schmallenberg virus and the scale of the outbreak this year.

Farmers are needed to help the University of Nottingham's study and to add to its knowledge of the cyclical pattern of Schmallenberg.

Cases of the non-contagious, viral disease have been rising across the UK since autumn 2023.

The study is a repeat of a survey the university ran during the initial outbreak of Schmallenberg in 2012/13 and again during the outbreak in 2017.

As both Schmallenberg and Bluetongue are spread by the same midges and may cause the same types of lamb and calf deformities, researchers have added some questions about the latter virus.

"We will provide a summary of the findings of the survey if you provide us with a contact email at the end of the survey," the university said.

"We may also contact you (if you provide an email) to participate again next year when we have a better idea of bluetongue circulation in the coming year."

The survey is anonymous, with only the first two letters of a farm's postcode needed to be able to map responses by county.

Information gathered from the survey may be passed to other organisations such as the APHA to help inform their response to the virus.