Veterinary Experts Caution Against Significant Impact of Livestock Virus in Wales

Leading veterinary experts have cautioned that a resurgence of a potentially fatal livestock illness is anticipated for the coming year. A novel variant of the bluetongue virus, transmitted by midges, has impacted extensive areas of eastern England over recent months. Additionally, two isolated instances were identified in north Wales, resulting from animal movements prior to the implementation of restrictions. Dr. Sioned Timothy, who leads the UK livestock veterinary team for the pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim, stated that the potential consequences in Wales would be substantial if the disease became established. Although midge activity is expected to decrease during the winter period, agricultural producers are advised to stay alert for indications of the infection, which poses no risk to human health or food safety. “We may be fortunate that the weather goes in our favour and for this season the further spread of the virus is curtailed,” Dr. Timothy explained. Her firm is responsible for one of three recently developed vaccines that have not completed the full authorization procedure but have received emergency approval for deployment in England. “We know from the experience in the Netherlands, where the outbreak has been more extensive and the clinical signs have been worse this year than in previous years that it is likely to recur,” she stated. “We do need to look forward and have a plan in place for what to do should the risk persist,” she further commented. “The key thing is for farmers to be vigilant”. The most recent outbreak originated in the Netherlands in 2023 and has since disseminated extensively throughout Europe this year, with midges carried by wind from the continent infecting sheep and cattle within the UK. A zone imposing restrictions on animal movement is currently active across 20 English counties, extending from the southern coast to sections of North Yorkshire. The cancellation of the English Winter Fair, a significant agricultural exhibition scheduled for mid-November in Staffordshire, was announced last week. Dr. Timothy, a resident of Newcastle Emlyn, Carmarthenshire, observed that the “relatively low livestock population” in eastern England “will have limited the spread in some ways”. If the disease were to disseminate in Wales, a region where sheep and cattle farming predominates the agricultural sector, “the potential impact is massive,” she affirmed. The bluetongue virus impacts both wild and domesticated animals, including sheep, goats, cattle, and deer. Symptoms can include ulcers or sores in the oral and facial regions, impaired swallowing and respiration, fever, and lameness. It poses no threat to humans, and the Welsh government has confirmed the absence of risk to public health or food safety. Sheep exhibit greater susceptibility to the most recent strain, designated BTV-3, although the disease’s effects appear to differ significantly across various areas, with certain animals displaying minimal indications of infection. In the Netherlands, tens of thousands of sheep have perished. “We’re still dealing with an unknown potentially,” Dr. Timothy cautioned. To date, 12 instances of BTV-3 have been identified beyond the existing restricted zones; all involved animals transported from regions where the disease is currently known to be active prior to the establishment of restrictions. These include two recent cases in north Wales, comprising three sheep on a Gwynedd farm and an unspecified animal on Anglesey, all of which were culled. Gwynedd Watkin, representing the Farmers’ Union of Wales in Gwynedd, reported that the local populace had expressed significant apprehension regarding the information. “What gave us peace of mind was that the sheep suffering from bluetongue had recovered from it, and also that the system of licensing the movements of animals (had meant) they were able to trace where the disease had come from.” “We encourage our members to be vigilant and to be especially careful from where they purchase their livestock,” he further stated. Dr. Richard Irvine, Wales’ chief veterinary officer, indicated that inquiries had been conducted at both sites to determine if the virus had infiltrated the midge population. This investigation has concluded for the initial farm in Gwynedd, revealing no indication of localized bluetongue infection. “We’re working through surveillance for the second farm and we hope that will yield a similar outcome,” he mentioned. The disease was “very much” a priority for the Welsh government, he added, with officials “thinking very carefully about the next few weeks, months and into the spring”. “Hopefully we will not see that increased severity of cases that were reported in northern Europe,” he remarked. “But certainly we need to be prepared – as well as taking those immediate actions here in Wales to be vigilant, report cases, source stock responsibly and protect the national herd and flock from bluetongue”. A collaborative group comprising agricultural and veterinary organizations has been convening for several months to evaluate the situation, he stated. The prospective contribution of novel vaccines was included in this discourse, but presently they are “new to market products” that are “not fully protective,” he further noted. Both Dr. Irvine and Dr. Timothy cautioned that climate change could lead to the disease becoming a more common issue in the UK. “Historically the textbooks would tell us that bluetongue going back several decades was a disease predominately seen around the Mediterranean basin,” Dr. Irvine commented. “We’re certainly seeing a shift in the pattern of a lot of diseases as temperatures warm up and seasons become less defined,” Dr. Timothy appended. “It’s likely that the type of midges – for instance – that are required for transmission of some of these vector-borne diseases will become more prevalent.” Bluetongue is classified as a notifiable disease, therefore any suspicion of its presence must be reported to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).