Bluetongue Arrives in Scotland – What You Need to Know

You will no doubt be aware of the ongoing bluetongue (BTV) situation in England, particularly in the South West, and of the recently confirmed case in Scotland. The number of affected farms is rapidly increasing.  You can see confirmed cases on the Bluetongue Cases and Zones map but please be aware that this is behind the curve as farms wait for results. Testing is important to ensure we are not missing foot and mouth disease or other diseases and to monitor which strain of BTV is circulating. Vets are reporting a significant increase in the severity of clinical signs and death rates.

Signs to look out for:

• Looking empty/sick, not eating
• Swelling of head/face/muzzle
• Crusting of the nose and or lips
• Ulcers/ erosions in the mouth especially in sheep of the dental pad.
• Lame animals that are lying down more with some having swollen coronary bands.

In general animals will have a high temperature and sheep are more severely affected than cattle. If in doubt please speak to your vet as a wide range of clinical signs have been reported

Vets dealing with cases report that vaccinated (up to date) animals either appear not affected or have mild signs.  Lambs from vaccinated ewes anecdotally are less severely affected.

 

What can you do?

• VACCINATE – this is the best way to protect your animals and will also add value to breeding stock you may be selling.
• Call your vet if you have any suspicions of disease.
• If you are buying stock, consider the source location and be aware that no pre-movement testing can give a 100% guarantee of disease freedom.

 

For further information and tools to help in decision making please see Bluetongue virus latest news | AHDB.