Department of Agriculture Completes Blue Tongue Vaccination for Livestock in Alicante Province, Over 55,000 Animals Vaccinated

The Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries has completed the vaccination against it blue talk in a herd of livestock in the province of Alicante.

more than 55,000 animals vaccinated (mainly cattle and sheep), the percentage of vaccination is already close to 100% of the census. Next week, the Official Veterinary Services will be responsible for verifying that all animals are vaccinated, including those on the smallest livestock farms in the province.

This campaign compulsory vaccination for cattle and sheep (goat voluntary) which started last February after a case of Bluetongue was found in a beef farm in the town of Orihuela, which led to immediate vaccinations by the Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries and contact the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

It should be remembered that the blue language or blue-tongue of sheep is a known viral diseaseswhich affects reactions and is transmitted by the bite of certain species of mosquitoes of the genus Culicoides, although it does not affect humans, because it is not transmitted to humans.

Behind the found the disease on February 8 in Orihuela, the Ministry ordered a mandatory vaccination against serotype 4 of the virus for all animals over three months of age of the lamb and cattle species throughout the Alicante region. To do this, 120,000 doses were purchased from a laboratory in León.

From there, twelve veterinarians have been responsible for communicating the vaccination information of vaccinated animals for their registration and control in a timely manner with the official veterinary services of the Department in the eight regional offices of the province. department and in the Alicante Territorial Directorate.

In just two months A total of 80,000 doses were distributed in sheep, cattle and goats, most of them in livestock farms gathered in the Health Protection Organizations (ADS). In particular, in ADS Bravo Bovine from Alicante, of Fat Bovine in the Vega Baja, of Ovine and Goat of the Marina Alta and Baixa, of Villena, of the Vinalopó Valleys, of Elche, of the Baix Vinalopó, of Rojales, from El Pilar and the Valencian Frisian Association (AFRIVAL).

Professionals remember that the primary vaccination of bluetongue in sheep includes one dose of sheep of 2 ml and two measures in cattle of 4 ml each, separated by 21 a day apart. And they emphasize how important it is that all animals get vaccinated before this time so they can move.