Sheep and cattle producers are being urged to vaccinate their stock before it’s too late, the British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA) warns.
Defra is still predicting a significant risk of an outbreak of bluetongue in the UK by the end of the summer.
"According to Defra’s latest bluetongue situation assessment there is currently a medium risk of an incursion of infected midges arriving in Britain from across the Channel, but a high risk by the end of the summer," said BCVA Senior Vice President Gareth Hateley.
"Thankfully, bluetongue vaccine supplies are now readily available, so we are urging farmers to discuss their disease risk situation with their vet as soon as possible."
Mr Hateley says that if the bluetongue virus does appear in Britain once again, the most significant impact on the UK sheep and cattle sector would be the enforcement of restriction zones of at least 150km (93 miles), from which susceptible animals would not be allowed to move to other parts of the country.
"This would have significant implications for trade and animal welfare, so far better to take all available steps to try and prevent disease, rather than have to deal with an outbreak once it occurs," he said.
"You simply can’t guarantee that stock will not get bitten by infected midges," says MSD Animal Health technical manager John Atkinson.
"This is why it is so important that all animals at risk have the necessary level of immunity to prevent the disease breaking out.
Importance of vaccination
Vaccination has been proven to control bluetongue, but the success of a vaccination programme is reliant on a high proportion of cattle and sheep farmers vaccinating their stock, particularly across southern England.
"Widespread vaccination helped to prevent bluetongue gaining a foothold in Britain the last time the disease threatened our shores back in 2007/08," Mr Atkinson says.
"Experience of that outbreak in Northern Europe tells us though that if the virus is not effectively controlled within a naïve livestock population we are likely to see a dramatic increase in cases over successive seasons, with hundreds in the first season, thousands in the next and tens of thousands in year three."
Mr Hateley adds that the results of a recent survey of bulk milk samples for antibodies to BTV8 taken from 200 dairy herds in the south and east of England should be interpreted with caution.
"A high proportion (>80%) of the herds in this study did test seropositive for antibodies to the bluetongue virus; most likely due to historical vaccination and/or historical infection.
"But these findings should not be interpreted as an indication that seropositive herds will be immune to the disease this time around: each positive bulk milk result could have been caused by just one or only a few animals in the herd having antibodies.
"The herds are likely to have little immunity if the cattle remain unvaccinated," he warns.
"What we do know though is that the most effective control measure against BTV8 is vaccination, so we are urging farmers to talk to their vet as soon as possible," Mr Hateley said.
