Blue tongue has been confirmed in four animals on three different premises in Suffolk and a “Bluetongue Temporary Area”, (BTA) has been declared.
Blue tongue has been confirmed in four animals on three different premises in Suffolk and a “Bluetongue Temporary Area”, (BTA) has been declared. This covers Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Northhamptonshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. Additional controls apply in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex. This information was correct at 26.09.07.
Ruminant animals may not be moved out of this area, but may be moved within it, subject to FMD controls already in place. Full details are on the Defra website.
The individual Blue Tongue-infected animals have been culled and the farmers will be compensated. We understand that no further culling will take place, once an “outbreak” has been declared, and no compensation will be payable.
Farmers will themselves become responsible for the treatment of any infected animals, although they must notify any suspected outbreaks.
As the disease is carried by midges, the benefits of cold weather cannot come soon enough. This will curtail midge activity whilst efforts are pursued to provide an effective ‘dead’ vaccine. That is expected to become available next year, though a clear timetable for its introduction has yet to be established.
RBST supports the urgent development of a vaccine to combat Blue Tongue and will be seeking a position statement on both the research progress and the production capability.
RBST will encourage DEFRA to establish procedures to deal with Blue Tongue that help protect Breeds at Risk.