Bluetongue past peak, vaccine on way -Dutch AgMin

THE HAGUE, Nov 12 (Reuters) - An outbreak of bluetongue livestock virus in the Netherlands has passed its peak and a vaccine looks on track to be developed by the end of the year, Dutch Agriculture Minister Gerda Verburg said on Monday.

Spread by midges, bluetongue previously tended to occur in southerly areas of Europe. But it has moved with alarming speed this year across several northern EU countries, including the Netherlands.

"It's getting colder so the number of cases is not growing as fast, only one or two per week at the moment," Verburg said in an interview with Reuters, adding that some 6,155 farms were currently affected in the Netherlands.

"We're hoping that if it's freezing this winter, we may have fewer problems next year," she said.

On Friday, the Dutch Federation of Agriculture and Horticulture (LTO) said the outbreak of bluetongue in the Netherlands was estimated to have cost 81 million euros ($119 million) this year.

The virus causes fever and mouth ulcers and in some cases turns an animal's tongue blue. It can be highly dangerous to sheep and cows, although it does not affect humans.