Bluetongue Latest News
18.30hrs, Friday 13th June 2008
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Bluetongue News
 General Bluetongue News Update for all Members
The NSA Reports as follows: -
"Further delays in Vaccine Supply Cause Concern:
Defra have late this afternoon released more information
(statement below) regarding the current hold up in
the roll out of bluetongue vaccine. The hold up is
giving some cause for concern as spring moves into
summer and the likelihood of disease emergence increases.
Everyone involved is doing all possible to ensure that
vaccine is cleared for use as soon as is humanly possible.
NSA will keep members informed just as soon as any
information becomes available. Defra statement below:
“Further to the update of 6 June, the batch of
vaccine which was due to be delivered by Intervet in
the week of 2 June is still undergoing further testing
before it can be released. So far, Intervet has delivered
vaccine much quicker than expected: over 9 million
doses have been distributed to livestock keepers since
30 April and we have expanded the Protection Zone accordingly.
There are no concerns with the vaccine that has been
delivered to this date; this is an issue with an individual
batch which requires further investigation. Because
of the Bluetongue outbreak, vaccine has been developed
and is being delivered within an unusually tight timescale.
Some delays are to be expected with a new vaccine,
which has to be and is subject to the highest levels
of quality control. We are continuing to work closely
with Intervet on determining the availability of the
next batches of vaccine and the impact that this will
have on the roll-out of vaccination. The next batch
of vaccine, which has already been prepared, is undergoing
rigorous quality control testing and we will update
this page with more information by 20 June.
As soon as further batches of vaccine are available,
we will continue to expand the Protection Zone in line
with our previous announcement on 23 May and the published
vaccination roll-out plan.
lthough the reporting of suspected
adverse reactions does not suggest there are any
significant problems with this vaccine so far, particularly
considering the large number of animals that have
already been vaccinated, any suspected adverse reactions
should be reported to the vaccine manufacturer and
may also be reported directly to the VMD. Intervet
are receiving a very low number of reports: no reports
are causing serious concern and the very few cases
reported have often been related to other ongoing
problems in the livestock apparently affected, such
as previous bacterial infection.”
Welsh relax slaughter Restrictions: The Welsh Assembly
has announced that they will allow the movement of
animals from the English Protection Zone direct to
slaughter to designated slaughterhouses in the Welsh
Free Area. Minor amendments have been made to current
licenses to reflect this. This is a vitally needed
step as the economic damage to the Welsh slaughtering
industry caused by shortages in supply was outweighing
the very small risk of bluetongue infection reaching
Wales via slaughter stock from the Protection Zone
in England.
Pregnant Animal movement out
of Zones: Following the
discovery of infected new born calves resulting from
the trans -placental transmission of disease, the EU
has adjusted the rules surrounding the movement of
pregnant animals out of zones. This means that animals
moving out of a zone must have been either naturally
immune to bluetongue or vaccinated before they were
inseminated. If that is the case then the existing
movement conditions for moving out of zones will apply.
NSA has repeatedly highlighted the practical absurdity
of this regulation in respect of sheep that have been
running with a ram and knowing if and exactly when
they were inseminated. Nevertheless the regulations
have been adjusted, such is the fear surrounding this
new form of disease transmission. Discussion on this
point will continue and it might be fair to assume
that this will not be the end of the matter from the
sheep perspective.
Vaccinated Animal Licenses Available: Defra have published
on their website the licenses needed to move vaccinated
animals out of a Protection Zone. With vaccination
having started in Eastern Counties several weeks ago
there will now be animals that meet the conditions
to move out of the Protection Zone following vaccination.
Vaccinated animals cannot move out of a Protection
Zone until at least 60 days post vaccination or at
least 35 days post vaccination if a PCR test is also
carried out and passed. Please refer to the Defra website
for full details for movement of vaccinated animals
as it can be quite complex depending on the movement
being made.
Merial Win Vaccine Tender: Defra has announced that
it is placing an order with Merial to deliver 13 million
doses of Bluetongue serotype 8 vaccine, eight million
for use in England and five million for use in Wales.
Merial anticipate delivering vaccine in regular batches
over the summer, which, alongside Defra’s existing
contract with Intervet, will hopefully ensure that
sufficient doses are available for vaccination to be
rolled out across England and most of Wales by September.
The Merial vaccine will be available in 100ml bottles
and is expected to require one 1ml dose in sheep and
two 1ml doses in cattle, given four weeks apart.
It is estimated that the extra 8 million doses in England
will just about be sufficient to cover all counties.
In Wales however, if the uptake is similar to England
the 5 million extra is still not enough vaccine for
all susceptible animals. In making the decision to
go with Merial for vaccine, the delivery schedule was
a key factor. From the sheep viewpoint there is acute
awareness of the potential implications for the breeding
sheep sales if the vaccination programme drags on too
much into the autumn. One down side to the Merial tender
is the fact that the vaccine only comes in 100ml bottles;
this is unfortunate but was not enough of a negative
factor to over ride the better delivery schedule which
Merial outlined in their tender.
Current UK Protection and Surveillance Zones
The zones detailed in the map below become operational at 06.00hrs on Monday 26th May:
As at 17:00 on 6 June 2008 there were 136 confirmed premises affected by Bluetongue.
The most recent cases were found as a result of pre-movement testing during
the vector-free period.
The UK Bluetongue Control Strategy can be accessed by using this link. The Bluetongue disease contingency plans for GB can be accessed by using this link.
 Information for producers in England
DEFRA have posted the following Bluetongue updates:
13 June 2008
· Revised licence: EXD483(BT)(E) - General licence
for the movement of cattle or sheep out of a Bluetongue Protection Zone or
a Bluetongue Surveillance Zone including movements to free areas outside
England or Wales or for export.
12 June 2008
· New licences: EXD482(BT)(E) - General licence
for the movement of ruminant animals out of a Bluetongue Protection Zone
or a Bluetongue Surveillance Zone other than for movement to free areas outside
England or Wales or for export and EXD483(BT)(E) - General licence for the
movement of cattle or sheep out of a Bluetongue Protection Zone or a Bluetongue
Surveillance Zone including movements to free areas outside England or for
export.
11 June 2008
· News release: Order
placed for additional Bluetongue vaccine.
· Revised licences: EXD464(BT)(E) - General licence for the
movement of ruminant animals out of a Protection Zone to slaughter in an
area free from Bluetongue restrictions in England or Wales and EXD466(BT)(E) - General licence for the movement of ruminant animals from premises in a
Protection Zone to slaughter at premises outside the Protection Zone but
within the Restricted Zone in England or Wales.
 Information for producers in Wales
The Welsh Assembly Government have posted the following Bluetongue Updates: -
11/06/2008: Bluetongue Vaccine
Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones has confirmed that DEFRA has placed an order
with Merial for 13 million doses of Bluetongue serotype 8 vaccine. Five million
doses are for use in Wales, and are in addition to the 2.5 million already
secured. Merial are expected to deliver the vaccine in regular batches over
the summer. This will ensure that sufficient doses are available for vaccination
to be rolled out across Wales by September.
Movement Guidance and Licensing for producers in Wales can be accessed by clicking this link.
Information on Bluetongue Legislation in Wales can be accessed by clicking this link.
 Information for producers in Scotland
The Scottish
Government have posted the following Bluetongue Updates: -
Current Situation
Scotland remains a 'bluetongue free area'. For background on the disease see the bluetongue background page.
New legislation came into force on 6th June 2008 that provides
the legal framework required for a compulsory vaccination campaign in Scotland
later in the year and tightens further restrictions on animals entering Scotland.
In recognition that temperatures are now rising and we are in a period with
a higher risk of disease transmission, the Vector Free Period, previously declared
throughout GB in December 2007, has now ended. This means that movement restrictions
have returned to the strict regime that was in place before the Vector Free
Period was declared and susceptible animals are generally not able to leave
bluetongue Restricted Zone in England. During the Vector Free Period, some
Scottish slaughterhouses were designated to receive susceptible animals from
the Restricted Zones in England. As a result of the end to the Vector Free
Period all designations have been revoked.
A summary
of requirements for the movement of Bluetongue susceptible animals to Scotland is
also available in the Leaflets and Advice section.
 Information for producers in Northern Ireland
The Northern
Ireland Assembly have posted the following Bluetongue Updates:
-
No updates since 13th May 2008
For more information on the conditions, please click on the below link.
Update
on Bluetongue import controls press release.
The Bluetongue
Declaration can be accessed by clicking here.
There is still no evidence that the virus is circulating in
Northern Ireland and this does not therefore constitute an
outbreak. Northern Ireland’s
bluetongue free status is not affected
Information on Bluetongue
in Northern Ireland can be accessed by clicking this
link.
We hope you find the above information helpful.
Regards
Steven J McLean
Chief Executive |
Symptoms
of FMD
