The European Commission has moved to reclassify bluetongue virus under its animal disease laws, which is expected to result in less mandatory restrictions when cases of the disease are uncovered.

Last Friday (August 7), the commission published updated legal texts to reflect the changes.

Bluetongue virus (BTV) is a serious disease of cattle, sheep and goats. It is caused by a virus which is transmitted between animals by midges.

Under the revisions, bluetongue will be reclassified from a category 'C+D+E' disease to a category 'D+E' disease only.

EU law has a five category system for classifying diseases and the responses to them.

Category A is the most severe, while category E is the least severe.

Category C (which, if the commission's proposed changes are signed off on, will no longer apply to bluetongue) allows member states to take eradication measures in order to control the spread of the disease within the country.

Category D+E (which will apply to bluetongue if the changes are adopted) require member states to adopt measures to prevent spread to other EU member states, and to keep surveillance measures in place.

It is understood that the changes will mean that animal movement restrictions within a member state will no longer be mandatory under EU law.

Agriland understands that these changes are set to come into effect from November 1 this year.

This is because the European Parliament has requested more time to scrutinise the proposed changes.

Bluetongue

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has advised farmers in Ireland that there is still time to vaccinate their animals against bluetongue.

The department has previously warned that warmer temperatures bring an increased risk of transmission of the disease.

Temperatures need to be greater that 12°C for a sustained period for the virus to replicate within the midge so that the midge can spread the virus.

The first case of bluetongue virus serotype 3 (BTV3) in Ireland was confirmed in a suckler herd in Co. Wexford in January. It was detected through the culled cow routine surveillance in a slaughterhouse.

To date, BTV has been detected in counties Wexford, Wicklow, Laois, Louth, Monaghan, Kildare, Cork and Tipperary.

A department spokesperson told Agriland that the department's policy has been to provide "broad geographical locations" where cases of bluetongue have been found.

The spokesperson said this is to assist farmers to make decisions regarding vaccination of their herds and flocks to mitigate the risk of bluetongue.

"Farmers have been very responsive to the threat and there has been good uptake of BTV3 vaccination," the department spokesperson said.

"The department also advises that it is still not too late to vaccinate and herd owners should, in consultation with their private veterinary practitioner, consider whether vaccination is right for them," the spokesperson added.