At the moment, no cases of bluetongue have been reported in Drenthe, but Bernd Hietberg, veterinarian in Beilen, fears that it is a matter of time before we will also have to deal with it here. The viral disease is currently spreading rapidly among cattle and especially among sheep.
Bluetongue infections mainly occur in North Holland and Central Netherlands, but cases have also been reported in Overijssel and Friesland, among others. The disease is transmitted by midges, which are small mosquitoes. Bluetongue is not contagious. Many animals do not survive the disease.
“With bluetongue, the animals get a fever, mucous membranes in the nose and mouth are affected and the cattle develop sensitive feet due to damaged blood vessels. This causes the animals to eat poorly and become seriously weak,” explains veterinarian Hietberg. Fighting the disease is currently not possible. “Vaccination is not going to help now, a possible vaccine will not be available in time for this wave,” said Hietberg.
The Ministry of Agriculture is investigating whether such a vaccine exists in countries outside Europe against the type of bluetongue that is currently prevalent in the Netherlands.
What can livestock farmers do? According to the Beiler veterinarian, it is mainly a matter of properly preparing the animals for a possible outbreak. “I warn livestock farmers to take into account that it will get bad. So make sure you do all the i’s and dot your i’s when caring for the animals. Everything that is possible to get the animals in optimal health is welcome, so that they can avoid any possible can withstand infection with bluetongue. For example, make sure that the animals’ digestion is good. Give them tasty food so that they are well fed.” According to the vet, a fly repellent can also help, but it is never 100 percent protective.
If a sheep or cow is infected with bluetongue, it is mainly a matter of preventing weakening as much as possible. Bernd Hietberg: “If you suspect, contact your vet and discuss the best supportive therapy. Try to keep the animals drinking and provide soft food. For example, beet pulp is very suitable for sheep and give cows fresh grass. feels more pleasant in a mouth full of blisters than hard stems.”
According to the vet, the mortality rate is especially high in sheep. “In an affected flock, 10 to 25 percent are expected to die. The animals are generally ill for two to three weeks. But you will also see an after-effect in the lambing season, with rejected fruits or deformed lambs. So we are there not finished yet.”
The livestock farmers are following the developments. But sheep farmer Marjoke Oenema from Wittelte tries not to worry too much. “What do you want then? You really can’t do anything about this. We have not had any cases in the immediate area and I have good hope that we will not have to deal with this wave either. In recent years we have sometimes suspected that a single case of bluetongue. These involved deformed lambs. For example, last year we registered a deformed lamb for research, but such a single case is not actually examined for bluetongue, so it has not been proven.”
2023-09-29 14:23:11
#matter #time #bluetongue #breaks #Drenthe
