Bluetongue: a fresh outbreak?

Defra announced this week that the first doses of a vaccine should be ready by the end of next month, but there's no guarantee that will avert an outbreak this summer.

They had hoped the virus, which is carried by midges, would die out over winter.

Three unexplained cases of Bluetongue in Northern Ireland in February first suggested something wasn't right.

Scientist at the Institute of Animal Health started testing.

It turned out pregnant cows infected with Bluetongue last year, though now disease free, are giving birth to infected calves.

Of 100 infected mothers tested so far, we can reveal 30 of their calves have now tested positive for Bluetongue - this year's first new cases.

There's no disease risk as the animals were either stillborn or too sick to survive - but the discovery has profound implications for a future outbreak.

There are currently 125 infected premises in the UK.

To restrict spread, the government has to set up Bluetongue protection and surveillance zones, covering much of England and an equivalent zone in Wales.

All the while the focus was on midges - thousands of pregnant animals have been moved.

According to Defra they have now been traced, tested, and are disease free.

But they now admit a new outbreak is almost certain and only nationwide vaccination will slow its spread.

The first three and a half million doses of vaccine ordered by Defra are due to be delivered next month. It's about as early as could have been hoped but the vaccine is as yet untried and treating susceptible animals will be a race against time before midges re-emerge and begin to spread bluetongue again.

There have been no new infections confirmed in Britain's 34 million sheep so far this spring - but testing continues.

A Bluetongue outbreak on the scale of Europe's last year could kill 5m of them.

Only once all farmers have vaccinated their flocks, will the threat of Bluetongue pass.

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