Blue Tongue Spreads in Oristano: Dead Sheep Tripled in One Week
The ASL announcement: more than 2,700 sheep have been infected in the last seven days
The ASL of Oristano raises the alarm: more than 2,700 animals infected by the bluetongue virus, with a sharp increase in dead animals, and all in the space of a week. In the province, there are 253 companies that have had demonstrations in their respective farms, also here with a significant increase of 40% in just seven days . The sheep have been affected by the serotype 3 (Btv3) of the bluetongue.
"The mortality rate has risen from 0.3 to 0.5% and fortunately remains very low, even if this figure is only the tip of the iceberg," reports Enrico Vacca, director of the Animal Health Service of ASL 5. "The infected animals have developed severe symptoms and many abortions have also occurred, with significant losses for the breeders."
The data. In the last seven days, the affected farms have increased by 40%, from 180 to 253. Even greater, by 149%, is the number of dead animals: from 215 to 536 in the last week. As for the infected sheep, the increase is 75%, from 3,600 to 6,294 .
"All cases refer to serotype 3," Vacca added. "Still no infections from serotype 8, against which our ASL has implemented a blanket vaccination in flocks. Unfortunately, serotype 3 has found virgin ground for its diffusion. At the moment there is a vaccine for this serotype, but it is not yet authorized by the Ministry of Health."
The Animal Health Service of the ASL Oristano has declared the entire provincial territory a circulation zone for the Btv3 virus . "From all over Oristano, the movements of animals of the ovine, caprine and bovine species, from birth, 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. The same movements are subject to compliance with some risk reduction measures, such as treatment with insect repellent and subsequent PCR test", warns the expert.
«The movement of animals of the same species mentioned above only from slaughterhouse within the national territory may 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».
(Online Union)
