The bluetongue epidemic is spreading in the Oristano area, with the number of dead animals more than doubling in the last week. But the toll does not stop there, with the dizzying growth of infections (+75%) and outbreaks reached by the virus (+64%). «Unfortunately, the same trend that we are also recording at a regional level», explained Enrico Vacca, director of the Animal Health Service of the ASL 5, «we can perhaps speak of one of the worst spreads of the bluetongue virus in the last twenty years. The mortality rate, which has grown from 0.5 to 0.7 percent, remains low. But unfortunately, significant economic losses are being recorded in companies». The hundreds of abortions also weigh heavily, «and let's not forget that the production of milk in sheep depends on the births», underlines Vacca.

In the last seven days, the number of dead animals has gone from 536 to 1,136 with an increase of 115%, the number of infected sheep has gone from 6,294 to 10,970 with an increase of 75% and the outbreaks have risen from 253 to 415, up 64%. The cases are all attributable to serotype 3. " Still no infections from serotype 8 - adds the director - against which our ASL has implemented a blanket vaccination in the flocks. In other regional territories, serotype 4 and serotype 8 are also present. Unfortunately, however, serotype 3 has found virgin ground for its diffusion. At the moment there is a vaccine for this serotype, but it has not yet been authorised by the Ministry of Health ".

The Animal Health Service of the ASL Oristano has declared the entire provincial territory as a circulation zone for the BTV3 virus. Therefore, the movement of animals of the ovine, caprine and bovine species from the area to areas not affected by viral circulation "must be agreed with the veterinary services of departure and destination with advance notification or authorization of at least 48 hours and the same movements are subject to compliance with certain risk reduction measures, such as treatment with insect repellent and subsequent PCR test. The movements of animals of the same species mentioned above only from slaughterhouses within the national territory can be permitted without restrictions, provided that the animals do not show clinical signs on the day of transport, are slaughtered within 24 hours of arrival at the destination slaughterhouse and that the means of transport are treated with insecticide", concludes Vacca.

(Online Union)

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