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After 15 years, bluetongue occurred in the Czech Republic, which also affects goats and cattle. It is confirmed in two farms in Sokolovsk. The disease is caused by a virus transmitted by insects, so-called midges. It is not transmissible to humans. Minister of Agriculture Marek Výborný (KDU-ČSL) emphasized that it is not necessary to cull animals across the board, but the state will introduce extraordinary measures. According to the Association of Sheep and Goat Breeders, the measures could cause major problems, with beef cattle breeders worried about the loss of income from the sale of calves. The ministry is preparing compensation. “Thanks to the weather we are experiencing, there is a danger that the viral disease will be a threat to other farms as well, not only in the region of Western Bohemia,” said Výborný. The State Veterinary Administration (SVS) recommends breeders to eliminate stagnant water or puddles on the farm where insects could breed.

Tests confirmed the disease in a ram that died on a farm in Jindřichovice. Four sheep are infected in a farm in the village of Šindelová, which is about five kilometers from the first outbreak. They keep more than 160 of them there, as well as 130 cattle. On the farm in Jindřichovice, which, according to SVS, now keeps more than 370 sheep, over 200 goats and more than 130 cattle, two more rams died in the past few days, showing one of the symptoms of the infection, i.e. discharge from the nostrils. The disease is also manifested by fever, swelling of the head and mucous membranes. Purulent and bleeding ulcers appear on the mucous membranes of the animals, a blue tongue is typical. An accompanying phenomenon is muscle degeneration. Sheep can shed wool.

The excellent and director of the SVS Zbyněk Semerád called on all breeders to immediately contact the regional veterinary administration and observe preventive measures if they notice symptoms. “In the event of clinical symptoms, samples will be taken from affected animals on the farm,” said Semerád. The symptoms and course of the disease can be alleviated by vaccination, but it is not 100% effective, said Semerád. According to Výborny, widespread vaccination is not planned yet.

The measures against the spread of the disease will cover the area within 150 kilometers of the outbreak, which the administration will officially announce at the beginning of next week. They will thus apply in the Karlovy Vary, Pilsen and Ústí Regions, in Prague and in parts of the Liberec, South Bohemia and Central Bohemia Regions. “It will not be possible to move live animals from this territory, where extraordinary measures will be announced, outside of this territory, at the same time trade will be stopped, including international trade, which is a big problem for breeders. It will not be possible to export live animals, but neither will insemination material within trade with breeding allowances,” said Výborný.

According to Výborný, the ministry is ready to compensate breeders for damages from its crisis fund. The office will provide compensation for animals that died or had to be euthanized, or cover vaccinations as well.

The chairman of the Association of Sheep and Goat Breeders, Richard Konrád, fears that the current warm weather may facilitate the spread of the disease throughout the country. “It will also affect the movement of animals within the framework of auctions, animals must not be driven outside the zones, which can cause us big problems also in terms of credit ratings and the classification of breeding stock and the transfer to breeding farms,” ​​he said of the measures. He also expects restrictions on the export of slaughter lambs for finishing. “It will definitely affect the trade in slaughter animals, we are now starting auctions for breeding goats and rams, so we will be impatiently watching how the situation develops,” Konrád added.

Due to measures against the spread of the disease, beef cattle breeders will lose their main income from the sale of calves, just as the main selling season is starting, director of the Czech Association of Beef Cattle Breeders Kamil Malát told ČTK. According to him, in addition to subsidy support, breeders will not have any income during the period of validity of the measure and will have additional costs associated with the restrictions. The crisis will occur in the winter months, when there will be no grazing and breeders will have to withdraw cattle from the pastures, Malát pointed out. “Breeders don’t have enough capacity to keep calves,” he added.

Veterinarians will adjust the measures according to the spread of the disease. They will be valid until SVS proves that the disease does not occur in the Czech Republic.

Bluetongue was first described in the late 18th century in South Africa after the importation of fine wool breeds of sheep from Europe. This year, veterinarians also noticed the disease in, for example, Germany, Denmark and Luxembourg. In the Czech Republic, the last confirmed case of bluetongue appeared according to veterinarians in September 2009. Since the end of April 2013, the Czech Republic was considered a country without the occurrence of this disease.

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