Bluetongue surge sparks 'buyer beware' warning ahead of sheep sales

Sheep farmers are being warned to take extra care when buying and moving stock as rapidly rising bluetongue cases threaten to coincide with the busiest period of the breeding and store sheep sales season.

The National Sheep Association (NSA) and Sheep Veterinary Society (SVS) say the true scale of the BTV-3 outbreak is likely to be greater than official figures suggest, with reporting delays masking the speed of its spread.

The South West is facing particularly severe pressure, with NSA chief executive Phil Stocker and Sheep Veterinary Society president Phillipa Page describing the number of reported cases as unprecedented.

In a joint statement, they said: “The emergence of BTV-3 cases across the UK is rapidly growing. The south west is dealing with an unprecedented number of reported cases, and we also know that there is a time lag in reporting, so the situation is far worse than the figures suggest.”

The timing is a major concern for the sheep sector, with disease levels expected to peak as breeding stock movements increase across the country.

Stocker and Page warned that although bluetongue is spread by midges rather than directly from animal to animal, livestock movements still carry risks during an outbreak.

“Trade is important but so is the protection of our livestock from a disease that many are finding devastating, and we must find ways of being highly careful and responsible,” they said.

The organisations have issued practical guidance aimed particularly at buyers, warning that sheep which appear healthy at the point of sale may already have been infected.

Unvaccinated animals could therefore develop disease after arriving on a new holding, potentially creating new pockets of infection.

BTV-3 can also affect fertility, prompting NSA and SVS to advise farmers buying rams to consider strict quarantine, close observation and fertility testing before using them during the breeding season.

Their warning is clear: “The focus here is buyer beware - your decisions could impact on your own flock health and that of your neighbours.”

Vaccination remains one of the main tools available to reduce the risk, but timing is crucial.

Animals vaccinated 28 days before a sale may still be vulnerable if they were exposed to disease before immunity had fully developed.

NSA and SVS are therefore advising farmers to continue using quarantine and observation even where recently vaccinated stock has been purchased.

Unvaccinated sheep could also be bitten by infected midges immediately before, during or after a sale and develop disease days or weeks later.

The organisations say vaccination, followed by enough time for immunity to build before exposure to infected midges, offers the best protection.

Fully vaccinated animals are also expected to be in particularly strong demand from buyers during this year’s sales.

The warning comes as additional supplies of the Bultavo 3 vaccine are set to enter the UK.

Boehringer Ingelheim said it had been working urgently with Defra, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, veterinary professionals and livestock industry organisations to progress the regulatory processes needed to increase vaccine availability.

Dr Sioned Tomothy, Technical Services Manager for Livestock at Boehringer Ingelheim, said: “We can confirm that more doses of vaccine from our global supply network will soon be entering the UK, and we remain committed to working with our partners to help make further supplies available as quickly as possible.”

She added that the company recognised the concern the outbreak was causing among farmers and the impact it could have on livestock, livelihoods and farm businesses.

Bluetongue is a notifiable disease and suspected cases must be reported.

NSA and SVS stressed: “There is no risk of direct transmission of bluetongue from animal to animal.”

However, farmers are being reminded that symptoms can resemble other bluetongue variants and Foot and Mouth disease.

The organisations are urging sheep producers to speak to their vet before buying stock, particularly where animals have not yet been vaccinated.

They are also encouraging early discussions about vaccine availability, quarantine arrangements and flock protection as the peak sales season approaches.