Global site navigation

Germany sees explosion in cases of bluetongue virus
Business and Economy

Germany sees explosion in cases of bluetongue virus

by  AFP 2 min read
A sheep with bluetongue virus being inspected in The Netherlands in July 2022
A sheep with bluetongue virus being inspected in The Netherlands in July 2022. Photo: ROB ENGELAAR / ANP/AFP/File
Source: AFP

PAY ATTENTION: Read YEN News now on Facebook Broadcast Channel. Click and follow now!

Germany has seen an explosion of cases of bluetongue virus this year, authorities said Tuesday as fears increase across Europe about the disease affecting sheep and cattle.

The country has registered 1,885 outbreaks of bluetongue virus serotype 3 (BTV-3) since the start of 2024, according to the Friedrich Loeffler Institute, Germany's top animal disease research centre.

During the whole of 2023, there were just 23 outbreaks.

"There has been a real wave since the beginning of July in farms with susceptible animals," a spokeswoman for the institute told AFP.

New cases are being added every day and the number of outbreaks could exceed 2,000 by as soon as Thursday, the spokeswoman said.

The institute was unable to provide information on mortality rates.

PAY ATTENTION: All celebrity news in one place! Follow YEN's Facebook Broadcast channel and read on the go.

Read also

In drought-hit Sicily, rainwater is dumped in the sea

Bluetongue is a non-contagious, insect-borne viral disease that affects ruminants such as cows and sheep but not pigs or horses. It is difficult to control once it takes hold.

It is not a risk to humans, but in animals it causes high fevers, mouth ulcers and swollen heads.

Support for farmers in tackling the disease through vaccinations is patchy in Germany as the responsibility falls to local authorities in the country's 16 states.

The first outbreak of BTV-3 was registered in Germany on October 12, 2023, according to the institute.

Since then, other outbreaks have been concentrated in the west and centre of the country, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse and Lower Saxony states.

The government has issued an emergency order to temporarily authorise three BTV-3 vaccines, pending official authorisation from the EU.

Since October 2023, cases of bluetongue have also appeared in other countries including the Netherlands and Belgium.

Read also

Flying's never been safer, says MIT study

The disease has also recently hit France, causing alarm among farmers.

BTV-3 is particularly deadly for sheep but can also cause a significant drop in milk production in cows, according to the German institute.

PAY ATTENTION: Stay informed and follow us on Google News!

Source: AFP

Authors:
AFP avatar

AFP AFP text, photo, graphic, audio or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. AFP news material may not be stored in whole or in part in a computer or otherwise except for personal and non-commercial use. AFP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions in any AFP news material or in transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages whatsoever. As a newswire service, AFP does not obtain releases from subjects, individuals, groups or entities contained in its photographs, videos, graphics or quoted in its texts. Further, no clearance is obtained from the owners of any trademarks or copyrighted materials whose marks and materials are included in AFP material. Therefore you will be solely responsible for obtaining any and all necessary releases from whatever individuals and/or entities necessary for any uses of AFP material.

Hot: