Vale of White Horse District Council
Abbey House, Abbey Close,
Abingdon, OX14 3JE
Email: comments@whitehorsedc.gov.uk
Telephone: 01235 520202

Vale of White Horse District Council

Bluetongue disease

In September 2007 an outbreak of Bluetongue disease was confirmed in East Anglia. This was the first time Bluetongue virus has been recorded in the UK. On 29 February 2008 there were 88 confirmed premises affected by Bluetongue. The most recent cases were found as a result of pre-movement testing. Through the course of surveillance work and pre-movement testing it is possible that other new cases will be identified. As a result of these recent cases the Bluetongue Control and Protection Zones have been extended, and now include parts of  parts of the Vale east of the A34 and east of the Thames from Abingdon North. Owners of livestock in the area should check the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) website for advice and information about movement restrictions. There are no restrictions placed on humans.

What are the implications for human health and the food chain?

Bluetongue is a disease of animals. Bluetongue has no public health implications and does not affect humans. Under current circumstances there are no implications for the food chain. People who have visited the affected premises do not need to be concerned that there is any risk to their health. Anyone visiting farms where animals can be touched or stroked people should always wash their hands after contact with the animals.

What is Bluetongue disease?

Bluetongue is an insect-borne viral disease to which all ruminants (including sheep, cattle, deer and goats) are susceptible. It does not affect horses or pigs. Although sheep are most severely affected, cattle are the main mammalian reservoir of the virus and are very important in the epidemiology of the disease. The signs of disease include changes to the mucous linings of the mouth and nose and the coronary band of the foot.

How is Bluetongue spread?

Bluetongue is caused by a virus, and is transmitted by a small number of species of biting midges. The Bluetongue virus (BTV) cannot naturally be transmitted directly between animals. However, the likelihood of mechanical transmission of the virus between herds/flocks and within a herd/flock by unhygienic practices (for example, through the use of contaminated surgical equipment or hypodermic needles) cannot be excluded.

When a midge bites an infected animal, the virus passes to the midge in the blood meal and the virus multiplies in the midge. The midge can then transmit the virus to other animals through further bites. Bluetongue does not affect humans so there are no human or public health implications. Bluetongue is most often seen in late summer and autumn, when midges carrying the virus are most common. The experience from continental Europe suggests that the disease is likely to re-occur in 2008.

For more information about Bluetongue disease please see the DEFRA website.