Bluetongue FAQ
Background
1. What is Bluetongue?
2. What are the symptoms?
Disease Spread
3. How is bluetongue spread?
4. How do we think the first animal in the UK caught the disease?
Disease Controls
5. What movement restrictions and other controls are in operation?
6. Do these restrictions also apply to semen, ova and embryo movement?
7. What is the Scottish Government response to the finding of infected imports to GB?
8. What disinfectants are effective against bluetongue?
9. What insecticides can I use to protect my animals from vectors that can transmit bluetongue virus?
10. What biosecurity precautions can I take to protect my ruminant animals from bluetongue?
Public Health
11. Is bluetongue a concern for public health reasons?
12. Is meat safe to eat?
13. Will the countryside be closed?
14. What should I do if I have visited an affected livestock premises?
Economic Impact
15. What impact will this have on exports from the affected areas?
Scottish Vaccination Campaign
16. Can susceptible animals be vaccinated against Bluetongue?
17. How will vaccine be made available in Scotland to protect susceptible livestock against Bluetongue?
18. What are the key elements of the Vaccination Plan?
19. What animals must be vaccinated and by whom?
20. When must my animals be vaccinated by?
21. Can I vaccinate my animals, or must vaccination be carried out by a vet?
22. Is revaccination required every year?
23. What steps should I take when buying cattle or sheep to ensure they meet vaccination requirements?
24. What are the implications of vaccination for trade?
25. Will I lose my organic status if I vaccinate against Bluetongue?
26. What size are the bottles?
27. What if I do not need a full bottle to vaccinate all my animals?
28. How do I store the vaccine?
29. My cattle requires two doses of vaccine, can I order all the vaccine at once?
30. Why are exemptions put in place for the animals living on the Shetlands?
31. Are there any known adverse reactions to the bluetongue vaccine?
32. Is the vaccine safe for use in pregnant animals?
33. Why are some vets asking their clients to sign a disclaimer? Does this mean the vaccine is unsafe?
Background
1. What is Bluetongue?
Bluetongue is a notifiable midge-borne viral disease which can infect all ruminants, such as cattle, goat, deer and, in particular, sheep and camelids such as llama's and alpacas. Bluetongue is different from many other diseases in that disease is confirmed only when there is evidence of it circulating in the midge population rather than when a single infected animal is identified.
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2. What are the symptoms?
Clinical signs in sheep can include: fever; swelling of the head and neck; inflammation and ulceration of the mucous membrane of the mouth, nose and eyelids; lameness; muscle degeneration and blood/serum leaking from blood vessels into surrounding tissue; haemorrhages in the skin and other tissues; respiratory signs such as froth in the lungs and an inability to swallow and discolouration and swelling of the tongue.
Although bluetongue usually causes no apparent illness in cattle or goats, cattle are displaying clinical signs during the current outbreak in Northern Europe, including: nasal discharge; swelling and ulceration of the mouth and swollen teats.
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Disease Spread
3. How is bluetongue spread?
Bluetongue can generally only be transmitted by the bite of certain species of midge - it does not spread directly from animal to animal. However, there is evidence that the BTV8 virus currently in the UK can be transmitted from mother to young during pregnancy. The disease can be spread geographically both by vector movements and the movements of infected animals that local midges at the destination then bite.
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4. How do we think the first animal in theUK caught the disease?
Defra has published the first epidemiology report into the UK Bluetongue outbreak, based on the situation up to 19th October. The report concluded that the infection was likely to have been initially introduced into Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex on the night of 4th/5th August by windborne transmission of infected midges from continental Europe.
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Disease Controls
5. What movement restrictions and other controls are in operation?
On 1st September 2008 and as part of their vaccination campaign, the whole of England and Wales became a BTV8 Protection Zone. On 3rd November 2008 Scotland also became a BTV8 Protection Zone in order to initiate its vaccination campaign.
The main movement rules which will remain in place until 30th April 2009 are as follows:
- Livestock movement within GB are generally unrestricted.
- Livestock movements to Scotland from BTV8 Restricted Zones or Free Areas elsewhere in Europe need only comply with normal import rules.
- Livestock movements to Scotland from bluetongue Restricted Zones other than for BTV8 must comply fully with the bluetongue movement rules in force.
- Livestock movements from Scotland to BTV8 Surveillance Zones, bluetongue Restricted Zones for other serotypes or to areas free of bluetongue such as Northern Ireland, must comply fully with the bluetongue movement rules in force.
- Movements to Northern Ireland will require BTV8 vaccine to be administered by a vet.
- Post Movement Notification Documents are no longer be required.
However, just because a movement is legal does not mean it is sensible. There will be a significant lag before Scotland's livestock are protected against BTV8, and they will remain totally unprotected against BTV1, which is becoming of increasing concern on the continent. Care must be taken in sourcing livestock and farmers should continue to avoid buying animals from high risk areas wherever possible.
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6. Do these restrictions also apply to semen, ova and embryo movement?
Yes. The same rules that are in place for the movement of susceptible animals also apply to the movement of semen, ova and embryos.
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7. What is the Scottish Government response to the finding of infected imports to GB?
Richard Lochhead Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment repeated his plea to farmers following confirmation of an import of bluetongue positive animals into England to take every precaution in sourcing stock to prevent the spread of bluetongue virus into Scotland. Richard Lochhead has also written to Hilary Benn to ensure UK pushes for appropriate and robust EU controls on the export of animals from bluetongue Restricted Zones in Europe.
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8. What disinfectants are effective against bluetongue?
Due to the midge-borne nature of the disease, additional cleansing and disinfection is not generally required. However, a full list of disinfectants and dilutions approved for use can be found in The Diseases of Animals (Approved Disinfectants) Amendment (Scotland) Order 2006 (2006 No. 352). This can be obtained from the OPSI website at:
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/scotland/ssi2006/ssi_20060352_en.pdf. Hardcopies can be obtained from The Stationary Office Ltd ( TSO): TSO, PO Box 29, Norwich, NR3 1GN, Tel: 0870 600 5522, Fax: 0870 600 5533, or possibly through your local library.
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9. What insecticides can I use to protect my animals from vectors that can transmit bluetongue virus?
A list of Health and Safety Executive ( HSE) authorised insecticides for use against flying insects in animal housings or similar areas such as abattoirs can be found by accessing the links below. Please pay particular attention to the guidance notes. If in doubt please contact your local SEPA office. The list is for guidance purposes only, and is not a definitive list.
A list of insecticides approved by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate is on the Defra website under "Guidance on use of insecticides for treatment of animal vehicles":
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/bluetongue/movements/guidance.htm
Insecticides licensed by the Health and Safety Executive can be found at:
http://webcommunities.hse.gov.uk/inovem/inovem.ti/pesticides/view?objectId=2308
Information on insecticides approved for use on cattle can be found at:
http://www.noahcompendium.co.uk/Therapeutic_Indication/Therapeutic_Indication/-70.html
Information on insecticides approved for use on sheep can be found at:
http://www.noahcompendium.co.uk/Therapeutic_Indication/Therapeutic_Indication/-71.html
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10. What biosecurity precautions can I take to protect my ruminant animals from bluetongue?
As bluetongue is only transmitted via an insect vector (midge) additional cleaning and disinfecting is not required, other than that routinely used as protection against infection from other diseases. However there are other biosecurity precautions that you can take:
- Be vigilant. The clinical signs of bluetongue are outlined at Q.7 above - please ensure that you are familiar with these and inspect your livestock regularly. If you suspect the presence of the disease, contact your local Animal Health office immediately.
- Be cautious when sourcing replacement livestock. Where possible, avoid importing livestock either originating in or transiting bluetongue restricted zones. Where this is not possible, ensure that livestock are symptom free before despatch and protected with insecticide whilst travelling.
- Remember that for any susceptible animals moving into Scotland that have been in a Restricted Zone in the last 60 days a post movement notification document must be provided to the Scottish Government within 3 days of the movement.
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Public Health
11. Is bluetongue a concern for public health reasons?
No. Bluetongue is a disease of ruminant animals, and it does not affect humans. There are no public health implications.
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12. Is meat safe to eat?
Yes. Bluetongue does not affect humans, and there are no food safety implications from either affected or vaccinated animals. The bluetongue virus requires live hosts, either ruminant or midge, to survive.
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13. Will the countryside be closed?
No. Access to the countryside will remain open
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14. What should I do if I have visited an affected livestock premises?
The Health Protection Agency advise that people who have visited the affected premises do not need to be concerned that there is any risk to their health. If visiting farms where animals can be touched or stroked, people should always wash their hands after contact with the animals.
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Economic Impact
15. What impact will this have on exports from the affected areas?
Within Europe:
Animals can move freely within or between Protection Zones ( PZ).
Animals can move freely within or between Surveillance Zones ( SZ).
Animals can leave PZ for SZ or SZ for Free Area if they fulfill strict conditions. (In practice, at this point in time animals need to be vaccinated by a vet and can only be vaccinated in a PZ.)
Elsewhere:
The rules on exiting Restricted Zones are the same regardless of the destination, but there is no guarantee third countries will accept the animals.
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Scottish Vaccination Campaign
16. Can susceptible animals be vaccinated against Bluetongue?
Susceptible animals within a bluetongue Protection Zone can be vaccinated as part of an official vaccination campaign.. Scotland will declare a Protection Zone on 3 November 2008 and will thereby allow for vaccination of susceptible animals to commence. A number of inactivated vaccines for BTV8 have been licensed in the UK for use in cattle and sheep. Vaccine can also be prescribed for other susceptible species by veterinarians, under the prescribing 'cascade' principle. This should be discussed with your vet.
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17. How will vaccine be made available in Scotland to protect susceptible livestock against Bluetongue?
On 9th April 2008, the Scottish Government has secured 12 million doses of BTV8 vaccine at the request of Scottish industry stakeholders. The contract was awarded to Merial at the end of June and the first batch of vaccine is now in stock.
Scottish Government has agreed to subsidise the cost of vaccine to farmers, for the first year of any campaign only, by paying half the cost of the vaccine from manufacturers. Any provision of subsidised vaccine by the Scottish Government will require Commission state aid exemption using the Block Exemption regulation before the vaccination programme can commence.
Vaccine must be ordered from your vet using the official BTV8 Vaccine Order Form. You may only hold vaccine on-farm for a maximum of 35 days before use - this should be taken into account when arranging a delivery date for the vaccine.
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18. What are the key elements of the Vaccination Plan?
- Compulsory vaccination for sheep and cattle;
- farmer administration unless animals are moving to a Free Area; and
- first year vaccination to be completed during the specified window.
The Vaccination Plan is available on the Scottish Government website http://www.scotland.gov.uk/BTVvaccination.
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19. What animals must be vaccinated and by whom?
The Scottish Vaccination Programme will be compulsory for sheep and cattle, except on Shetland, and voluntary for other ruminant/camelid animals, with vaccine administered by farmers except where veterinary administration is required (e.g. for movement of animals out of the Protection Zone). A detailed vaccination plan has been finalised in partnership with the Scottish livestock industry; this includes a list of specific exemptions from compulsory requirements for certain classes of sheep and cattle.
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20. When must my animals be vaccinated by?
All sheep and cattle of three months of age or more, other than those specifically exempted must be vaccinated by 30th April 2009. Sheep or cattle bought, born, or coming of age after the vector-free period must be vaccinated at the first opportunity.
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21. Can I vaccinate my animals, or must vaccination be carried out by a vet?
If the animals are destined to stay within the BTV8 Protection Zone, keepers can vaccinate their animals themselves. It is strongly recommended that you seek guidance from your vet on how to store and use the vaccine properly in order to maximise the effectiveness of the vaccine and protection of your livestock.
22. Is revaccination required every year?
Once the campaign is underway it will be compulsory to ensure that all sheep and cattle remain immune by administering revaccination against BTV8 each year until further notice. It is recommended that animals are revaccinated at least two weeks before each risk period i.e. the midge-active period. Those with other susceptible livestock are also strongly encouraged to administer annual revaccination.
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23. What steps should I take when buying cattle or sheep to ensure they meet vaccination requirements?
Those buying sheep or cattle should ensure that they are vaccinated, either by vaccinating on arrival in Scotland, or by obtaining evidence that they were vaccinated before arrival. The requirement to vaccinate untreated cattle and sheep on arrival (within 14 days) will take effect after 30th April 2009. The exception to this is after 30th April 2009 there will be a requirement for animals moving from Shetland to other parts of Scotland to be fully vaccinated before movement (except when moving directly to slaughter or to slaughter via a market). A self declaration form developed by industry stakeholders will shortly be launched to provide standardised documentary evidence that animals being sold have been vaccinated prior to sale.
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24. What are the implications of vaccination for trade
Properly conducted vaccination will facilitate safe year-round trade from areas affected by bluetongue.
Susceptible animals intended to leave the BTV8 Protection Zone will need to be individually identified and vaccinated by a vet, and the vaccination will need to be up to date with the required boosters. Restrictions on domestic trade within GB will be removed.
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25. Will I lose my organic status if I vaccinate against Bluetongue?
No. Vaccine use in organic livestock production is permitted and encourage where risks are identified. The Soil Association recognise that with exotic viruses such as bluetongue, levels of immunity in the UK will be low or non existent and that the best approach to the control of bluetongue in the current situation is to vaccinate
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26. What size are the bottles?
The vaccine will initially be sold in 100 ml bottles, though 50 ml bottles will also be available by the end of December.
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27. What if I do not need a full bottle to vaccinate all my animals?
Vets are able to split the bottles to decant the required numbers of doses of vaccine into smaller quantities for sale if requested.
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28. How do I store the vaccine?
The vaccine must be kept refrigerated between 2° - 8° C at all times. Once a bottle has been opened it must be continued to be kept refrigerated and used within 8 hours. Un-used vaccine in an open bottle must be destroyed 8 hours after opening. Vaccine held on farm for more than 35 days must also be destroyed.
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29. My cattle requires two doses of vaccine, can I order all the vaccine at once?
Yes, but only if the order is placed for multiple bottles. Once a bottle is opened the vaccine must continue to be refrigerated and any vaccine not used within 8 hours of opening must be destroyed. This means that a new bottle must be used for the second dose in cattle. If you do not have appropriate storage facilities, you should agree a staggered delivery of your vaccine with your supplier. Vaccination can only be held on farm for a maximum of 35 days before use - you should take this into account when agreeing a delivery date with your vet or pharmacist.
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30. Why are exemptions put in place for the animals living on Shetland?
The unique circumstances of the industry on the Shetland Islands (e.g. distance from the mainland, testing of all imported animals) and the low temperatures (which would inhibit disease spread) make a voluntary approach workable on Shetland. Store animals being moved from the Shetland Islands to the mainland will need to be vaccinated before movement.
31. Are there any known adverse reactions to the bluetongue vaccine?
Any vaccine has to be assessed for safety and efficacy by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate before it is authorised for use. Millions of doses of bluetongue vaccine have been used throughout Europe without any adverse reactions being reported.
If keepers do experience adverse reactions in their animals that appear to be due to the administration of the bluetongue vaccine, this should be reported through SARSS by their veterinary surgeon. More information is available from the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) on their website: http://www.vmd.gov.uk/General/Adverse/animal2.pdf
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32. Is the vaccine safe for use in pregnant animals?
Merial is confident that BTVPUR is safe to use in pregnant animals. This confidence is based on the current ongoing programme of trials on the vaccine as well as extensive field experience gained in Europe over the last 4 years, where more than 80 million doses of BTVPUR vaccine of various serotypes, including BTV-8, have been supplied.
33. Why are some vets asking their clients to sign a disclaimer? Does this mean the vaccine is unsafe?
This does not mean the vaccine is unsafe - the vaccine has already been assessed as safe to use by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD). A small number of vets have asked their clients to sign a disclaimer when administering the vaccine in a situation not specifically indicated in the licence. For example where there is no current mention on the licence regarding specific safety in pregnant animals or species other than cattle and sheep.
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