New animal disease in UK

28 Jan Daily telegraph

A new virus, that causes abortions and birth deformities in farm animals, has been found in Britain for the first time.

A new virus, that causes abortions and birth deformities in farm animals, has been found in Britain for the first time. Schmallenberg virus (SBV), which is spread by midges and affects cattle, sheep and goats, has been formally identified on four sheep farms in Norfolk, Suffolk and East Sussex. At the moment farmers are not required to notify the authorities so animals with the disease may end up in the food chain, however it is not thought to be harmful to humans. Farmers are concerned because of the distressing nature of finding animals with dead or deformed young and the possibility the virus may be spread further as the weather warms. Vets believe the virus was carried over to eastern England via midges from the northern Europe, where it was first identified last August.

The disease first appeared in cattle in the Netherlands and Germany in August 2011. Clinical signs included fever, reduced milk yield and diarrhoea. More recently, from November, the virus has been associated with reports of miscarriages and stillbirths associated with congenital abnormalities affecting mainly sheep but also cattle and goats, in northern Europe. Russia and Mexico have banned imports of sheep and goat meat and live animals from the Netherlands and China has asked for more information.

If Britain loses its export market it will cost the country billions. The most recent similar disease was bluetongue that hit in the summer of 2007 and is still a risk to livestock. But risk assessments carried out by public health authorities in the Netherlands and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control have concluded that the risk to human health from SBV is ‘likely to be very low’.

However, at this early stage of knowledge about the new disease, there are still considered to ‘some uncertainties’ and a risk to human has not been entirely discarded. The Department for the Environment is advising farmers and veterinary surgeons to take ‘sensible hygiene precautions when working with livestock’. The disease is not notifibiable, which means farmers are not legally compelled to report it. Nonetheless, animal keepers are requested to be vigilant and inform their veterinary surgeons of any such cases.