Bluetongue Latest News
16.45 hrs, Thursday 8th May 2008
Use the interactive
map to find out which
zone, if any you are in.
Bluetongue News
This update now takes an amended format to cater for the devolved governments different arrangements: -
 General Bluetongue News Update for all Members
Vaccine Zones extended in England
First batch of Bluetongue vaccine delivered
Defra has today announced that the Bluetongue Protection Zones will be extended and merged on Monday 12 May, following the delivery of additional doses of Bluetongue vaccine. Vaccination is only permitted within the Protection Zone therefore in accordance with the Bluetongue vaccination plan, the Protection Zones will be merged by extending the zones into all of Hampshire and West Sussex. The Protection Zone will also be extended into all of Lincolnshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire. The Surveillance Zone is unaffected.
A further 1 million doses of vaccine, available in 50 dose bottles, are available for use in the Protection Zone today. Livestock keepers in the areas coming into the Protection Zone on Monday will be able to obtain vaccine from that date. They are encouraged to order vaccine so that they can protect their livestock at the earliest opportunity.
Those keepers coming into the new Protection Zone will be subject to the same restrictions as those in the existing Protection Zone. Animals can only be moved out of the Protection Zone if they are vaccinated, naturally immune or for slaughter, subject to meeting certain conditions.
Extra Bluetongue vaccine for Wales
The Welsh Assembly Government has agreed to go out to tender for a further supply of 5 million doses of Bluetongue vaccine for Wales. Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones confirmed Wednesday 7 May. This is in addition to the 2.5 million doses already secured.
New Movement Licences
The following new movement licenses have been issued and apply to England only:
Consignment Note for use when transporting animals and other things under a general license [PDF] (9 KB)
· Vaccination
· Movements of animals to slaughter
· Movement of animals out of a Bluetongue Protection Zone or Bluetongue Surveillance Zone
· Transit through Bluetongue Zones
· Movement of Semen, Ova and Embryos
Current UK Protection and Surveillance Zones
The current map (updated on the 11th April) is as follows:
Bluetongue
Protection Zone & Surveillance Zone
- Declaration and definitive map [PDF] (400 KB)
As at 12:00 on 30 April 2008 there were 127 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.
Bluetongue Vaccination Plan
Details of the Delivery
Plan for Emergency Vaccination against Bluetongue Serotype 8 can be accessed using this link.
Bluetongue
Information Meetings
The Society very much supports the meetings being organised for
Sheep Farmers throughout the Country by the NSA. All Society Members are encouraged
to attend one of these meetings to hear first hand, the experiences of other
Countries in handling this disease and also in hearing how effective the vaccine
being produced really is. The following meetings are currently scheduled: -
- Thursday 8th May, 7.00 p.m. at the Function Room, Kilworth Springs, LE17 6HJ
Further details on all of these meetings can be obtained from the NSA direct
on 01684 89 661. Please use this number to inform the NSA of your attendance.
 Information for producers in England
DEFRA have posted the following Bluetongue updates:
8 May 2008
• News release: Bluetongue update: extension of protection zone to allow further vaccination; epidemiology report published
• Epidemiology report: Report on the distribution of Bluetongue infection in Great Britain on 15 March 2008 [PDF] (622 KB)
7 May 2008
• News release: Government tender for Bluetongue vaccine.
Movement Guidance and Licensing for
producers in England.
Information on vaccination, surveillance and control in
England.
England Bluetongue vaccine roll-out plan
Aim:
 The
UK Bluetongue Vaccination Strategy has been agreed with industry stakeholders
using the overriding principle of facilitating the rapid transfer of vaccine
into animals as soon as it becomes available.
The vaccine roll-out plan also has to be flexible enough to take into account
the changing nature of the disease i.e. moving zones, the various levels of
disease risk in the zones, and the timing and availability of the vaccine.
Bearing these factors in mind, it is difficulty to precisely predict the situation
we will be in once vaccine becomes available in England. Therefore the
following text outlines the principles and considerations that will be used
in determining the roll-out of vaccine in England in order to allow for revisions
and flexibility in the plan as the situation develops this year.
Key Principles and Considerations
Timing and availability of vaccine
Roll-out of vaccine can primarily only be delivered as and when vaccine is
available. Intervet are contracted to provide the 22.5 million doses
of vaccine (20 million for use in England only, 2.5 million in Wales only),
and they will release the first doses to the UK in May, subject to final batch
testing. They expect the May delivery to be 3 million doses, but are
confident that they will exceed this commitment, and hope that the delivery
in May will reach 5 million doses. The vaccine has to pass rigorous control
testing before it can be released for use. Intervet will be in a position
towards the end of April to provide updates every week on the release of vaccine. The
remainder of the doses are expected to be received in June, July and August.
Depending on yields during the production process, it is possible that more
(or less) vaccine could be delivered before these dates. Therefore the
plan is flexible in order to be prepared to roll-out vaccine earlier or later
if that is the case.
Administrative demarcation of vaccine roll-out
Under EU law, vaccination can only be carried out in a Protection Zone, however,
roll-out of vaccine will be on a County by County basis. Given the unpredictability
of the disease situation, it is possible the current zones may have expanded,
or they may even be one single Restricted Zone covering the whole of England
by early summer. This therefore offers an unreliable means by which to
demarcate vaccine availability now or later in the year. Counties are
easily recognisable and communicable boundary markers, by which livestock keepers
and veterinarians can simply identify when vaccine may be available or sold.
Decision making process and criteria for prioritising vaccine roll-out
Given the medium/high risk that the disease situation and Restricted Zones
may change before vaccine becomes available, it is a risk to define the vaccine
roll-out plan for the whole year now purely based on the current disease situation.
Therefore a process for defining a priority list for counties to be vaccinated
will be used. The priority list will be regularly reviewed by Defra,
Bluetongue Experts and the Core Industry Group in the period leading up to
the first vaccine becoming available, and will continue to be reviewed throughout
the year. This will be based on epidemiological evidence and veterinary risk
at the time of each assessment, broadly using the following criteria to aid
the assessment.
Premises, Local Areas or Counties with the highest weight of infection
Taking into account;
- premises, local areas or Counties with known circulating disease in
2007
- premises, local areas or Counties with known circulating disease in
2008
- epidemiological evidence indicating Premises, Local Areas or Counties
with highest weights of infection
Counties at the highest risk of receiving infection
Taking into account;
- which zone the County is in i.e. PZ, SZ or Free Area (to assess likelihood
of disease risk from animal movements)
- geographical proximity to known infected premises
- meteorological data i.e. likelihood of wind borne incursion of infected
midges from infected areas of UK or EU.
- density of cattle and sheep population
Counties in the remainder Restricted Zone (PZ and SZ combined)
Taking into account;
- geographical proximity to known infected premises
- meteorological data i.e. likelihood of wind borne incursion of infected
midges from infected areas of UK or EU.
- density of cattle and sheep population
Counties in the remaining areas of England
Taking into account;
- geographical proximity to known infected premises
- meteorological data i.e. likelihood of wind borne incursion of infected
midges from infected areas of UK or EU.
- density of cattle and sheep population
A map outlining a rough approximation of the current priority areas (PDF 1.2 MB - Please note this is a large file). This map is based on the current disease situation and therefore may change before vaccine becomes available.
Physical roll-out of vaccine
Depending on the amount of vaccine available in the first batch, the number
of doses will be matched against the sheep and cattle populations (and doses
required) of the highest priority counties first, working down a list of counties
until no more vaccine is available in that batch. Once further doses
of vaccine become available, they will simply go to the next priority county
and so forth. Control of the supply of vaccine will be achieved through legislation
and licensing.
The intention is for 100% of the vaccine to be purchased and used by each
county, however, it is possible this take-up rate will not be achieved and
vaccine will be left unused. Therefore, the take-up levels will be regularly
reviewed for each county, and pending these assessments any remaining vaccine
stocks may be made available to the next priority County or Counties.
Purchase of vaccine
All livestock keepers wishing to purchase vaccine should speak to their private
veterinarian for advice and to place an order.
 Information for producers in Wales
The Welsh Assembly Government have posted the following Bluetongue Updates: -
8th May 2008
The Welsh Assembly Government has agreed to go out to tender for a further supply of 5 million doses of Bluetongue vaccine for Wales
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: -
In recognition that temperatures are now rising and we are entering
a period with a higher risk of disease transmission, the Vector Free Period,
previously declared throughout GB in December 2007, ends at midnight on Saturday
15 March 2008. After this time movement restrictions will return to the strict
regime that was in place before the Vector Free Period was declared and animals
will generally not be able to leave bluetongue Restricted Zones.
During the Vector Free Period, slaughterhouses in Scotland were able to apply
to the Scottish Government to be designated to receive livestock from the bluetongue
surveillance zone in England. These designations fall at the end of the Vector
Free Period. This decision was based on a Veterinary
Risk Assessment. However,
the Scottish Government's position on designations will be kept under review,
particularly in terms of any changes to the disease situation.
Currently there are no movement restrictions in place as a result of disease control in Scotland.
 Information for producers in Northern Ireland
The Northern
Ireland Assembly have posted the following Bluetongue Updates:
-
8th May 2008
DARD announced new import control measures following the successful application to Brussels to apply a derogation from the general rules of the European Bluetongue Regulation (1266/2007) for the movement of susceptible animals from restricted zones. A new declaration which stipulates that all imported susceptible animals must move under the conditions stipulated in the Bluetongue Regulation 1266/2007 (as amended) is in force with effect from 00.01 hours on 8 May 2008.
Only susceptible animals less than 90 days or that have proven natural or vaccinated immunity to Bluetongue, if they meet certain conditions, can be imported from Bluetongue restricted areas.
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
