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| Bluetongue Virus Expands to More Than 300 Farms, with 400 Animal Fatalities |
The bluetongue virus, initially detected on four sheep farms in the Netherlands earlier this month, has now spread to a concerning extent, affecting a total of 319 farms across the nation, as reported by data gathered by the Dutch food and product safety board, NVWA.
The first instances of the virus were observed in the provinces of Noord-Holland and Utrecht. Currently, the outbreak remains predominantly concentrated in the central region of the country, according to the NVWA's findings. Furthermore, the virus has also been found in cattle populations.
This marks the first occurrence of bluetongue in the Netherlands since 2009. Importantly, it's worth noting that bluetongue does not pose a direct threat to human health.
Bluetongue is transmitted by tiny midges and does not spread through direct contact between animals. In response, farmers have been advised to utilize insect repellents as a preventive measure to curtail the virus's propagation.
Unlike diseases such as bird flu, foot and mouth disease, or mad cow disease, there is no requirement for the culling of affected animals due to bluetongue. Nevertheless, the virus has already claimed the lives of approximately 400 sheep, with additional reports emerging of cattle displaying severe symptoms. Jeannette van de Ven, a representative from the farming organization LTO, expressed growing concern among its members regarding the virus's rapid progression. She remarked, "Our members are beginning to worry, and that is understandable, given the way the disease is progressing."
The Netherlands has now lost its EU disease-free status, resulting in the necessity for sheep to undergo vaccination before they can be exported, as communicated by caretaker agriculture minister Piet Adema during a briefing to members of parliament when the initial cases were identified. To regain disease-free status, the country must remain free of bluetongue for three consecutive years.
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