French sheep farmers fret over bluetongue virus outbreak
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A sheep in the Netherlands with bluetongue, a virus that has a 10 per cent to 30 per cent mortality rate.
PHOTO: AFP
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MARPENT, France – The French authorities reported on Aug 8 more than 20 suspected cases of bluetongue virus in sheep, raising fears of a potentially fatal outbreak after hundreds of animals were infected in neighbouring Belgium.
Regional authorities in the Nord department, which borders Belgium, revealed on Aug 7 that the first French case of bluetongue virus serotype 3, or BTV-3, was confirmed on Aug 5 in Marpent.
There are now 22 suspected cases, the region’s prefecture said.
“Each time there is a suspicion, a vet is sent out. Samples are taken and analyses carried out,” the regional authorities said, adding that “in the event of contamination, the animal must be isolated and disinfected”.
Suspicions have arisen on two or three farms in Nord and three or four in the Aisne department, all of which are “currently being analysed”, said Mr Simon Ammeux, president of the regional federation of the FNSEA farming union.
He also reported two suspected outbreaks in the Seine-et-Marne department.
In Belgium, the Belgian Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC) confirmed there were 308 cases of bluetongue in the country.
“Because bluetongue is spread by midges, it is not possible to control the spread of the virus. The best method of protection is vaccination,” the agency said.
The mortality rate is between 10 per cent and 30 per cent, the FASFC noted, adding that sick animals and those that recover from the virus can become less productive. AFP
