Three new cases of bluetongue have been confirmed in cattle in Essex in England, bringing the total number of affected premises to 56 as of yesterday (September 15).
These cases have been identified through surveillance testing in the restricted zone and add to the incidences identified on September 14 – two of which were located in Essex, while a third was accounted for in the East Riding of Yorkshire, which is now deemed a temporary control zone (TCZ).
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) secretary of state has permitted the use of three new unauthorised vaccines in the UK for bluetongue variant 3 (BTV-3), which is currently the most active of the virus strains.
Vaccination for BTV-3 is not available for commercial sale and is only sanctioned for use in emergency circumstances, as EU-wide authorisation is still pending.
BTV-3 was first reported in September 2023 in the Netherlands and has since spread to other countries including Belgium; German; France; Luxembourg; Denmark and Switzerland.
It was first detected in the UK on November 10, 2023.
Symptoms vary across ruminants, but include fever; lesions; redness of the mouth; eyes; nose; reddening of the skin above the hoof; excessive salivation and nasal discharge. However, animals can also show little or no clinical signs.
Bluetongue restricted zones
Free testing remains available for animals residing in high-risk counties that are not currently located within the bluetongue restricted zones of east England.
The TCZ of Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex was extended by the UK government on September 13 to include part of Kent and part of greater east London.
A 20km TCZ has been declared in Kent after suspicions were raised near Faversham, Kent, this follows a similar TCZ established in north-east Lincolnshire.
Farmers and livestock owners must follow strict guidelines which apply to the restricted zone by law, to prevent the spread of the disease.
Movement of animals and germinal products out of the control zone is prohibited under the legislation, unless a license is granted to do so by a veterinary inspector or officer of the secretary of state.
Where an animal has been deemed eligible to be moved from an area declared as an infected area, the transit must take place in a vehicle, without unloading and via the shortest available route.
If an animal has been granted permission to be transported to a slaughterhouse outside the designated control zone, the animal must be killed within 24 hours upon arrival.
Bluetongue does not affect humans or compromise food security, milk and meat from infected animals are remain safe to consume, however, if bluetongue is detected, it would significantly impact the livestock trade and hamper animal welfare.
Import of livestock from Great Britain to Ireland has remained suspended since the disease was first detected in the UK last December.