Latest Updates from warmwell.com

February 18 2008 ~ A voluntary scheme was what you wanted, says Hilary Benn
Hilary Benn has published a UK plan for bluetongue vaccination (where? It does not seem visible yet today at 2.30) confirming that it will be a voluntary campaign and that the "full cost" of vaccine will fall on the farmers themselves. The Farmers Guardian quotes Mr Benn:
".....The deal is the Government pays for the order up front and the full cost is then recovered as the vaccine is used by farmers.” Benn said the voluntary approach will be taken because ‘that’s what you said you wanted’. Could anyone tell us who it was that told the government that a voluntary scheme was what they wanted? Experts in the disease - and the experience in Corsica - tell us that anything less than about 85% or more coverage is simply going to be a waste of effort and money. One can only hope that all farmers will choose to vaccinate, will be able to afford to vaccinate and will be able to find enough doses out of the 22.5 million ordered to be able to vaccinate - and that Intervet provide sufficient doses in time.

February 18 2008 ~ "Science should not be mixed with a commercial organization"
While Defra is cutting millions from its budget for animal health, Holland is to have a new Institute for Animal Health. This will be achieved by the merging of the
"...Gezondheidsdienst voor Dieren and the Animal Sciences Group of Wageningen University. The new combination will have 1.400 employes and an annual turnover of 175 million euros. Both institutes will further work on the merger plans in the coming months." (source in Dutch) One Dutch correspondent comments to warmwell.com: "we are not that enthusiastic about this merger. Science should not be mixed with a commercial organization. ASG is the animal research department of Wageningen University and the Gezondheidsdienst voor Dieren used to be a national institute for animal health but was privatized some years ago and is now commercial..." We too remember Professor Fred Brown lamenting the creeping commercialisation of Pirbright which was, in his day, a genuinely public service institution.

February 18 2008 ~ "NBA Scotland cannot understand the risk the Scottish Government is prepared to take by not ordering bluetongue vaccine..."
".... for general use on livestock farms this summer. It says it is unrealistic for Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead to expect farmers to be able to counter the advance of bluetongue virus, which has the potential to inflict disastrous economic and animal welfare damage on their businesses, without access to an effective restraint. It is also alarmed that while the Scottish Government says it would be prepared to spend up to £10m on financing a national vaccination programme, should bluetongue spread towards the Scottish border later this year, it is ready to gamble on only 100 to 200 Scottish animals being infected over 2008 - and prefers to hold back its funding until 2009 instead..." The Herald.

February 16 2008 ~ "farmers will be expected to fork out an average £330 if they want to voluntarily vaccinate their livestock "
The tone of this statement in Wales' Daily Post is interesting. It appears in a short article in which the exporter of the pure Dutch Texel ewe, found positive to BTV in Wales, is quoted as saying he had abided by all the rules before exporting the sheep and had sprayed them and "tested and retested". The FUW have called on Welsh farmers to abide by a voluntary ban on animal imports from high risk bluetongue zones in Europe.In the Daily Echo (Southern England), Farmer Jonathan Gerrelli is quoted:
"If we want to take our animals to Salisbury market, which is outside the zone, they have to be tested to make sure they haven't got bluetongue. Vets have a call-out charge of about £40 and tend to charge approximately £100 an hour once they're actually on your farm. Testing for bluetongue will cost a considerable amount, which will come out of any profit people thought they were going to make at market. I was hoping to take ten cattle to Salisbury market next Tuesday, but there's no way I can get the tests done and the results back in time."While European neighbours will be able to claim a considerable amount of compensation from the EU, our own farmers will be expected to foot all relevant bills themselves (see below). It is also, of course, uncertain whether the number of doses of vaccine ordered will be anywhere near sufficient.

February 16 2008 ~ "sporadic "out of season" (the so-called "vector-free" season) cases may still occur."
ProMed moderator " The behaviour and, indeed, detailed identity of the vectors -- particularly during the winter months -- is a subject in need of in-depth study."
February 16 2008 ~ Vaccination is likely to be "a farmer hands-on voluntary operation"
The Farmers Guardian quotes Peter Morris, chief executive of the National Sheep Association: “What is for sure is that if this disease beats us then the entire British livestock industry will be in real trouble.” He has said that making vaccination compulsory was not likely "because then it would become yet another bureaucratic and costly procedure" and that administering the vaccine would also likely be "a farmer hands-on voluntary operation – with the industry itself making sure there was the maximum uptake"

February 16 2008 ~DEFRA is unlikely to consider it worthwhile applying for co-funding.
Farmers Weekly in the article Producers face £20m bluetongue vaccine bill “Even taking in to account the effect of any possible co-funding, the costs of a compulsory programme still significantly outweigh the costs of a voluntary one. In addition to extra enforcement and administration costs, the terms of the UK’s rebate as outlined under the Fontainebleau agreement mean the real value of any co-funding is only around one-third of anything awarded, further reducing the incentive to apply. The document also notes that any funding could only be claimed after the programme has been delivered and would be subject to audits."(Or, as a rather more cynical emailer puts it, " It will be voluntary as this means less paperwork and less cost to Defra - they have lost the capacity to cope with exotic disease....")

February 15 2008 ~ Fort Dodge: "It's so difficult to pluck numbers out of the air"
The UK Managing Director of Fort Dodge is hoping that once factories in Ireland and in Holland are working to capacity as well as the factory in Spain, the company will be able to go full-steam ahead on BTV-8 vaccine production. But vaccine companies cannot use their own knowledge of how many doses they think are required if governments are then not going to pay for them. And the UK position on payment is still very unclear - (even, we understand, to the point of querying whether vaccine companies themselves would be prepared to charge farmers directly and then pass money on to DEFRA.) John Hanley today spoke of the need for firm orders to be placed and the reluctant necessity of supplying vaccine on a first come, first served basis:
"There is still time to sort it out, but only if decisions are made by the end of March or early April. After that it will be too late for 2008." The company is hoping to receive the go-ahead for production in Sligo within the next few days. Fort Dodge is already supplying vaccine for serotype 1 and 4 to combat Bluetongue in Spain and Southern France from its factory in Spain. (See also www.farminglife.com for Feb 11) As we say below using only one vaccine producer has drawbacks. Batch failures can happen. It is essential to reach the percentage coverage necessary to halt the disease - but the UK has ordered, from Intervet alone, 22.5 million doses. Many are wondering if this can possibly be enough.

February 15 2008 ~ Another imported case. This time, Northern Ireland
BBC
"....a dairy cow in County Antrim imported from the Netherlands. "This investigation will help determine if disease is circulating but at this time there is no evidence to suggest that it is. Therefore at this time the north's bluetongue free status remains."The news comes just 9 days after the Ulster Farmers Union said that the current controls in place to prevent the disease emerging in Northern Ireland needed to be reviewed.

February 15 2008 ~ Bluetongue: DEFRA has updated relevant pages
Latest information (updated yesterday on the DEFRA site) of the premises infected during January and February. Summary here (without map references) We note that the DEFRA notifiable disease page does now make a distinction between confirmed investigations (final positive result) "for January" (two) and for "February" (fifteen)

February 15 2008 ~ "While livestock is suffering, the bureaucrats are fighting over budgets."
Many now watch in growing dismay the difference in approach shown by France, Germany, Wales, Scotland and England to the growing threat to Northern Europe's livestock farming from Bluetongue - and the need for timely, full, vaccination coverage. "I am fuming with rage," writes a correspondent, "there are more stupid press releases out.. uncertainties will considerably delay a vaccination campaign".In Germany, according to www.bmelv.de (in German)
the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, as the German national authority responsible for the evaluation and licensing of bluetongue vaccines, is reluctant to grant a marketing licence for inactivated BTV8 vaccines. The institute claims that the documentation, provided by vaccine manufacturers so far, is inadequate.At Wednesday's meeting of the agricultural workgroup of the Bundestag, the federal German Ministry (BMELV) is quoted by participants as questioning the safety and efficiency of the vaccine. The Ministry is considering a field study but details are not known yet. These uncertainties will considerably delay a vaccination campaign on a broader scale. Our correspondent's irate opinion: " The Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute can't be bothered to conduct the necessary research into the ongoing BTV epidemic - for alleged lack of funding. The approach towards the licensing of the vaccines is merely a way to put the heat on again and secure research grants. While livestock is suffering, the bureaucrats are fighting over budgets."

February 15 2008 ~ France - "has launched a nation-wide vaccination campaign"
France, on the other hand, seems to be getting prepared for a well funded campaign to begin in April. Reuters " ...Vaccination will start in April and all cattle, goats and sheep should be treated against serotype 8...by the end of the year, the ministry said in a statement. The campaign will also target serotype 1.... The French market was split in three lots, two for vaccines against the serotype 8 and one against the serotype 1. Fort Dodge Animal Health, a division of U.S. pharmaceutical company Wyeth .., won the first lot for the serotype vaccine and the second lot was to be attributed this week, a farm ministry spokeswoman said. As for the serotype 1 vaccine, France chose the company Intervet..... She did not immediately have the volume for each of these lots but said that by the end of August some 30 million doses would be available to vaccinate 15 million cattle and more than 10 million small ruminants, including goats and sheep."UPDATE Reuters has got it wrong, Fort Dodge is producing Zulvac1 (BTV1) and Intervet Bovilis BTV8

February 14 2008 ~ "NBA Scotland cannot understand the risk the Scottish Government is prepared to take by not ordering bluetongue vaccine for general use on livestock farms this summer."
The National Beef Association continues to be aghast at Scotland's continuing Canute approach. See also article on www.land-care.org.uk
".... alarmed that while the Scottish Government says it would be prepared to spend up to £10 million on financing a national vaccination programme, should bluetongue rampage towards the Scottish border later this year, it is ready to gamble on only 100-200 Scottish animals being infected over 2008 – and prefers to hold back its funding until 2009 instead. .....“NBA Scotland has no doubt that adequate supplies of vaccine should be available to beef and sheep farmers this summer because it not only shields their animals, and their business, from a debilitating disease but also prevents farmers who have not vaccinated their stock facing additional cost through being cut off from regular markets in those areas of Britain where vaccination has taken place.” Scotland's Mr Lockhead says he will order BTV8 vaccine "when necessary" but, like the National Beef Association, one wonders whether this means that vaccine can be delivered when needed at the right cost. If coverage is to be achieved for Scotland vaccine stocks should be ordered immediately - and one can only repeat what the ProMed moderator said a month ago: "...The 3rd disease season is expected to commence in the due spring 2008, when large populations of susceptible animals may be exposed to BTV-8 for the 1st time, particularly in areas such as Wales and Scotland.... their timely vaccination is essential.").

February 14 2008 ~ First case (imported) in Wales "We remain free of the disease" says Christianne Glossop
An imported sheep has tested positive for the disease in the Llandysul area in Ceredigion. BBC "The sheep, which was one of a group of 14 from the Netherlands, tested positive for the virus following routine post import testing. The assembly government said it was an isolated case and it was not confirmed the disease is circulating in Wales. Chief veterinary officer Dr Christianne Glossop said: "There is nothing to suggest the virus is circulating in Wales and we remain free of the disease."The Farmers Guardian adds that "the restricted zone includes a section of Powys, cutting the Brecon Beacons in half; along with all or parts of: Monmouthshire, Torfaen, Caerphilly, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Vale of Glamorgan, Bridgend, Neath Port Talbot, Cardiff, Blaenau Gwent and Merthyr Tydfil."

February 13 ~ By 14:00 on 13 February 2008 there were 79 confirmed premises
The DEFRA notifiable disease page last updated today, February 13, shows that confirmed investigations (final positive result) "for January" now stand at 11. Since this is two more "for January" than were confirmed on Monday - and would seem, assuming they have merely forgotten to update the month, that the two more infected cases were confirmed in February. The BBC - who always gets the news before anyone else, it seems, says " A new bluetongue protection zone has been set up after a fresh case of the animal disease was identified. The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said the case was found near Poole, in Dorset. The zone covers Dorset and the New Forest. Three new cases have also been found in Sussex, Essex and Norfolk. Protection zones there have been extended. ..." The new map is now on the DEFRA update page.

February 12 ~ Meetings in Wales
"An expert analysis of how bluetongue could affect the industry in the year ahead will be a centrepoint of two important regional conferences for stakeholders that will be staged by Hybu Cig Cymru/Meat Promotion Wales in the next eight days. The events take place tomorrow at Clunderwen, Pembrokeshire and the following Wednesday, February 20, at Llanwrst...appraisals on how it may influence 2008 will be provided at the Pembrokeshire event by Roger Daniel, of Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Carmarthen and a week later by Les Eckford, the Welsh Assembly Government’s veterinary adviser, at the Llanwrst venue......Tomorrow’s event at the Nantyffin Hotel, Llandissilio, Clunderwen, Pembrokeshire, starts at 10am with a talk by Dr Prysor Williams, of Bangor University, on seeking an alternative method to deal with fallen stock...." Details at icwales.icnetwork.co.uk

Monday Feb 11 2008 ~ Two more cases over the weekend?
According to DEFRA's notifiable disease page last updated today, February 11, confirmed investigations (final positive result) now stand at 9 Bluetongue cases whereas they were at 7 on Friday. Nothing has yet changed on the "Bluetongue Latest" page however. Once again, we do not know for certain how things stand.

Monday Feb 11 2008 ~ "For regions affected for the first time in 2007, saving the costs for blood tests, whole herd vaccination would be the preferred option"
Informed comment from Sabine Zentis Extract
"... in Germany...in the regions affected for a second time during 2007, seroprevalence in cattle is high enough to go for vaccination of youngstock only. But this is dependent on good surveillance and one has to take into account different farming systems. Cattle in open barns on straw and access to fields/pasture show a seroprevalence of 95-100%. But in cattle kept on slats/slurry systems and in regions with a lower than average livestock density only up to 50% of animals are seropositive. In these cases it is either test every animal and vaccinate accordingly or vaccinate the whole herd without testing. For the regions affected for the first time in 2007, saving the costs for blood tests, whole herd vaccination would be the preferred option All sheep (and maybe goats) should be vaccinated as seroprevalence is, compared to cattle, rather low..."Frau Zentis also says, ".. That farmers are forced to pay for surveillance (pre-movement testing) is an issue that should be questioned by the NFU, NBA etc. Countries can claim back expenditure for surveillance so farmers shouldn't pay the bill..."

Monday Feb 11 2008 ~ The vexed question of EU funding to help us eradicate disease...
did not get much further enlightenment when, last Thursday, Jim Paice asked the Secretary of State "whether he intends to apply to the European Commission for an emergency vaccination programme for bluetongue disease; and how he plans to provide for the remaining costs of such a programme.." Hansard. We note that EU contributions to endemic or high risk areas
"for the cost of carrying out the laboratory tests for virological, serological and entomological surveillance and the purchase of traps and vaccines... "were agreed last November. The UK is not included.

February 11 2008 ~ what is really behind the UK reluctance to apply for EU funding for Bluetongue?
It is hard not to feel confused and informed comment would be most gratefully received.The Commission Decision of 12 October 2006 (pdf) shows maximum contributions offered to qualifying Member States for various animal disease related costs. Thus we see that towards costs connected to the eradication of BSE, scrapie and TSEs, for example, the UK ( the Fontainbleue Agreement notwithstanding) seems to have been allocated a maximum of almost 100 million euros in total . How much of this was received - and over how long a period? Can anyone tell us? If for BSE why not for Bluetongue? (Fears about scrapie as a cause of BSE were finally admitted to be unfounded and last February Ben Bradshaw admitted "... the prevalence of BSE in the UK sheep population is most likely zero, or very low if present at all." see Warmwell's scrapie pages) Last November the European Commission approved 187 million euros to fight animal diseases in 2008. (This is less than last year and is not likely to be anywhere near enough even to cover the cost of BTv vaccination as offered to Member States.) The programmes for the eradication and monitoring of bluetongue submitted by Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Luxembourg the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Romania and Slovenia were approved for the period from 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2008. Where was - or is - the UK's programme? Why the UK reluctance to apply for funding for Bluetongue? Many are now saying that DEFRA wants a voluntary scheme paid for by farmers simply because this means less paperwork and less cost to the severely cash-strapped Department. The grim suspicion remains that Defra has lost both the will and the capacity to cope with exotic disease. Although they refer (as below) to experts consulted, the names of those "experts" consulted never seem to get revealed.