Tests have shown that Britain's bluetongue disease case
confirmed later on Saturday is the same strain of the disease which
has affected animals recently in Northern Europe.
The virus identified Saturday in a cow on a small farm near
Ipswich, some 100 kilometers northeast of London, is serotype
eight, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
said in a statement.
The strain was previously found in Northern Europe including the
Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany since August 2006, where
there have been nearly 3,000 cases of bluetongue, the department
said.
If the virus has spread, the department said, it would impose a
20 kilometer control zone around the infected farm, and there would
also be a 150 kilometer surveillance zone.
The department said it was not imposing any additional movement
restrictions above those currently in force due to the
foot-and-mouth outbreak.
The discovery of bluetongue disease came soon after another case
of foot-and-mouth disease was confirmed in Surrey on the same
day.
Britain's chief vet officer Debby Reynolds said it remains
vitally important that farmers maintain vigilance for this disease
and report any suspect cases, particularly as clinical signs may be
similar to foot-and-mouth disease.
Bluetongue disease is transmitted by midges, traditionally the
Culicoides imicola midge. It is passed from animal to midge, and
from midge to animal, but not transmitted from animal to
animal.
The virus has long blighted Africa, but in recent years has
begun to spread northwards into Europe with some scientists
believing that climate change could be behind its spread, as warmer
temperatures have seen the biting insects gradually move north.
(Xinhua News Agency September 24, 2007)