Stakeholder Meeting – Bluetongue

BLUETONGUE STAKEHOLDER MEETING
Victoria Quay, Edinburgh
Monday 23rd June 2008

The purpose of the meeting was to finalise arrangements for delivery of vaccination in Scotland. Following the meeting a policy would be confirmed. On Friday 27th June the Scottish Government announced that they had secured 12 million doses of vaccine to be used in a compulsory vaccination programme in autumn of 2008.

Disease update
In Great Britain there have been 136 holdings and 70 of these have been since 15th December.
Five reported investigations in June in Scotland were all negative. There have been no new confirmed case in Europe this year. “From previous experience we should expect cases where it was last year – Europe and South East. This could be anytime now.”

£700,000 is to be spent on studying Scottish midges. Reports suggest that midge activity in Scotland is very high in 2008.

An assessment has been made of the economic impact of different Bluetongue incursion scenarios in Scotland. This modelling involved 20 scientists and researched the current ecology of potential midge vectors and examined meteorological factors potentially influencing incursion. It concluded with findings that provide objective basis for development of policy:-
The prevention of Bluetongue was well justified with benefits outweighing costs.
Vaccination was not always the best option but vaccination was best given the uncertainty.
Least disease is not always least cost
Cattle sector has biggest potential loss

Although there are one million deer in Scotland compulsory vaccination would need to be restricted to only cattle and sheep.

Decisions on compulsory areas of vaccination may be better left until the autumn. Concerns were raised by SAMW that disease might create a trade barrier at the English border. Consensus was that there should be a strategy for vaccination across Scotland, with the possible exception of the Northern Isles.

In the event of earlier disease incursion, vaccine will be available ad a localised protection zone would be created. IAAS asked that the protection zone be Scotland but it was pointed out that the smallest possible protection zone would be better. NFUS fell in behind this viewpoint.

The Scottish Government is paying half the cost of vaccine but this does not mean that it will be half the price than in England.

Animal movements
In 2007 33,500 animals came from Northumberland and Cumbria to be slaughtered in Scotland. Contact should be made to 'exporters' to Scotland to ensure that vaccination has taken place. Total imports from England and Wales is around 60,000. This may reduce since cattle prices in England have firmed.

Market Issues
Different from sheep scab markets – dipped or not. This is an issue for producers and what is practical for markets to oversee. Observed that farmers should provide declaration to the auctioneer.

Background Information
Bluetongue is a notifiable insect-borne viral disease that affects all ruminants, such as cattle, goat, deer and, in particular, sheep. It cannot be spread directly between animals and relies on the midge for transmission. The disease does not affect humans and there are no public health or food safety implications.

Bluetongue has previously been found within the EU, but only in warmer Mediterranean countries (Spain, Portugal, and Italy). Midges are not active in temperatures below 15ºC and winter usually halts the spread of the virus in cooler climates.

During 2006 there were a number of cases of bluetongue reported in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany. During 2007 disease has recurred in these areas and spread northwards, eastwards and to the UK. At present restriction zones are in place around the areas where the disease is occurring. These include a ban on the export of livestock.

Defra has published the first epidemiology report into the UK bluetongue outbreak, based on the situation up to 19 October 2007. 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 2007 by windborne transmission of infected midges from continental Europe. The report can be found here: