NEW DEADLY DISEASE HITS FARM ANIMALS IN UK

by The Anglo American | September 22, 2007 at 06:55 pm | 705 views | 2 comments

The UK is now engulfed in a new animal killer disease and faces the mass destruction of yet more farm animals.

It is called Blue Tongue disease. What is it exactly?

Bluetongue has no known cure or vaccine and the most virulent strains of the virus wipe out up to 70 per cent of infected animals in two weeks. The disease, which normally infects sheep but can affect other hooved animals, has horrible effects on animals infected, starting with ulcers and mouth, nose and eyes. The infection then spreads causing swelling to the head, lameness, and internal bleeding. Breathing difficulties and death then follow.

This is the first time in histroy that this disease has made its way to the UK.

Originally from Africa, the condition has taken advantage of the world’s rising temperatures to spread north to Gibralter, through Spain to devastate farms across Germany, France, Belgium and Holland, carried by the humble midge. The midge spreads from area .

Britain's farmers fear that with the arrival of Blue Tongue disease will result in farm closures, that have been family businesses for generations

Last night the fear was that the disease could wreek havoc with Britian’s already beleagured farming industry and its 35 million sheep. According to Professor Peter Mertens, head of arbovirus research at the Government’s Institute for Animal Health, Pirbright, Surrey – which was blamed for releasing the foot and mouth virus in the latest outbreak: “We have all the elements for an outbreak. Bluetongue has never been in the UK before, so we have a high-risk population with no immunity. It’s a serious worry. All it needs is the match to light the fire – the arrival of the virus, via a single infected midge, is all it takes,” he warns. “The risk has never been higher ... we are very nervous about it. The real horror story is if we get bluetongue and foot and mouth at the same time.”

Since the disease is spread by insects so the areas that will be affected will be much wider than what occurred with the Foot and Mouth outbreak.

Its arrival could see swathes of the countryside sealed off. The way it is spread by midges, instead of by animal to animal, means that exclusion zones of 100 miles may have to be set up- 15 times the size of the 6 mile zones used to contain foot and mouth.

Although it can be lethal in animals there is no threat to humans.