A blue funk

October 8th ~ Bluetongue Research
cost UK taxpayers 4,000,000 euros (sic)

We see in DEFRA's Bluetongue Surveillance in the UK
SCoFCAH 20 October 2006 (pdf) that this money went on


• Survey of the distribution of Culicoides and species
  profile and vector competence in the UK
  
• Molecular epidemiology - Virus characterisation to determine virus
  relationships and sources of incursions
  
• Modelling using
  - Remote sensing, GIS and Satellite Imaging
  -Traditional modelling to obtain Ro
  -Meteorological data - wind, temperature,
  humidity
  
• Development of new BTV vaccines
  - sub-unit vaccines and delivery systems
£2,769,668 pounds? Nearly three million pounds? Where was the provision for adequate surveillance and testing in all this? Taxpayers' money was used for new BTV vaccine development? As Professor Spratt shows below, there is no risk involved in the continuing and so vitally needed production at Merial. DEFRA however - using safety as its justification - has not so far relaxed its grip. The vitally needed BTV-8 vaccine (that have paid for and that we need) remains for the time being in limbo.

October 6 2007 ~ " UK farmers haven't understood the implications of declaring GB as a BT zone..".

The problem, says Sabine Zentis, (not only an expert in this disease but also a prize-winning breeder of English Longhorns) is that UK farmers haven't understood the implications of declaring GB as a BT zone so that internal movements can happen. Next year things are going to be very much worse.
Frau Zentis writes,

"This might be due to the fact that Fred Landeg was quoted as saying that the disease might die out during the winter. The NFU chairman of the Suffolk National Farmers' Union (see edp24.co.uk) should look over his fence; he's seen only the start of BT but by next year he's going to have to prepare himself for real losses.
Landeg is repeating the same wishful thinking that has been the main policy in Germany and he seems to ignore the fact that this disease doesn't just go away because a vet says so..."

October 6th 2007 ~ "movements straight to abattoirs outside the restricted zones should be permitted as soon as possible."

Sabine Zentis says," There is no risk involved if animals are slaughtered within a short period of time, say 24 hours."

But plans to resume movement country wide without vector surveillance showing that no culicoides are active because of low temperatures are extremely unwise. While it might seem fine in the UK this year with a low viral load and perhaps not too many culicoides infected, it would be a recipe for disaster next year. Such free movements would increase the spread of BT enormously.

The consequences of a massive outbreak as in Northern Europe this year have been an absolute disaster for the sheep sector. On dairy farms even cows are dying of BTV 8 with some farmers losing on average 2 animals per week.

Since it is so important to prevent regions from getting infected by multiple serotypes, BT affected farmers can't export into free regions or regions under restrictions for another serotype. There is no cross protection between the 24 different serotypes. A different serotype can cause severe losses to cattle. However, between the regions affected by the same serotype there are no restrictions in trade. Once the FMD restrictions are lifted the UK will be able to export animals from the BT restricted areas to all areas within the EU affected by the SAME serotype ( zone F). A note of caution from Frau Zentis:

"The legislation is very clear on lifting of restrictions to regain the status: country or region free of BT: a country has to prove by surveillance that for TWO YEARS no virus has been circulating."
Thus the UK must be free from BTV circulation during 2008 and 2009 if restrictions are to be lifted in 2010.