The agriculture industry has already been rocked by foot-and-mouth and yesterday government officials confirmed that cases of the virulent
bluetongue disease have spread.
Bluetongue Disease remains widespread, decreasing fertility rates and calf per cow ratio, but most EU commercial herds have acquired immunity through past infections as well as from vaccinations.
WALES Chief Vet Christianne Glossop wants farmers to co-operate in keeping Wales free of
bluetongue disease.
A VALE of Clwyd farmer found himself at the centre of a national scare over
Bluetongue disease when he did a favour for his brother, a court was told.
"There's no doubt the last two years have been very challenging - not just with consecutive poor summers and terrible floods last year, but also with both foot and mouth and
bluetongue disease outbreaks.
The ban could be yet another blow for this year's Royal Show at Stoneleigh which has already suffered a big drop in cattle entries because of fears over
bluetongue disease.
The recent outbreak of the
bluetongue disease (also called catarrhal fever) in the United Kingdom and Denmark is a new sign that animal diseases are gaining ground worldwide and that states will need to invest more in detecting and fighting these outbreaks, warns the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
He added it was also "grossly insensitive" when farmers were still threatened by foot and mouth and
bluetongue disease.
INVESTIGATIONS were continuing today after a fifth farm animal tested positive for
bluetongue disease.
Chief veterinary officer Debbie Reynolds said the threat of
bluetongue disease - usually confined to Mediterranean countries - reaching our shores was still 'low overall'.
Bluetongue disease (BT), discovered north of the Alps in Europe in August 2006 (1-5), causes massive losses of farm ruminants, particularly sheep.
WELSH farmers are being urged to take advantage of half-priced vaccine to immunise their livestock against
bluetongue disease.