Spain’s veterinary organisation is promising a tough response to a fresh outbreak of bluetongue disease in Spanish livestock.
“Given the finding of virus recirculation, veterinary authorities have reinforced existing prevention, surveillance and control (in affected areas), in order to obtain more information on the epidemiological situation of the disease and control the possible spread of the virus,” said Red de Alerta Sanitaria Veterinaria (RASVE, Spain’s veterinary health alert network).
The ministry of agriculture, food and environment (Magrama) is now distributing 1.5 million doses of vaccine against bluetongue serotype 4, a viral disease notifiable under European Union (EU) rules. It is a non-contagious, insect-transmitted, viral disease causing mucous membrane inflammation and haemorrhaging in domestic and wild ruminants and generally affects sheep worst. Cattle and goats do not usually show clinical signs but can carry the virus. It does not affect humans.
Though vaccination against bluetongue is voluntary, it is recommended for susceptible animals in affected and surrounding areas. However, regulations introduced in Spain last November stipulate that, from 31 July this year, sheep and cattle older than three months leaving restricted zones in Spain must come only from farms where susceptible livestock has been vaccinated. The ministry estimates that some 250,000 head of cattle and 500,000 sheep will be vaccinated as a result.
Serotype 4 was most recently discovered last October in Cadíz province, and serotype 1, in Toledo province. These were the first reported outbreak sites during the 2013/14 midge season. In Cadíz, the infected sample was from a sheep holding near Gibraltar and was the first outbreak of serotype 4 in Spain since March 2013.
In the Toledo case, the samples were from a cattle farm and came from ‘sentinel’ animals, beasts that are purposely left unvaccinated as part of national surveillance of bluetongue. The previous outbreak of serotype 1 in Spain was in November 2012 in Cáceres province, western Spain.
In a statement, RASVE said it was formally notifying the European Commission of the new outbreaks, as well as other autonomous regions of Spain and relevant sectors.
