The cold temperatures of the past week have reduced the spread of the bluetongue virus. Still, sheep shepherd Joshua Bos is worried about next spring.
“Fortunately, we have not yet had to deal with the bluetongue virus,” says Bos. “We recently had a suspicious case. Research was done into this, but it ultimately turned out not to be the virus. And maybe call it luck, because the virus has been very close. In Schoonebeek, for example, they have had to deal with it. At this point I think we’re in for a quiet few weeks. During the winter, the virus does not spread or spreads less quickly. But I’m keeping my hopes up for next spring.”
What is bluetongue?
Bluetongue is a non-contagious viral disease of sheep and other ruminants such as cattle and goats. The main route of infection is the bite of flies called midges, which are infected with the bluetongue virus. Sick animals cannot directly infect each other and the disease is not transmissible to humans. The clinical picture in sheep consists of high fever, salivation, and swellings in the head, tongue and lips. In addition, inflammation of the crown edges of the hooves occurs.
City herd winters in Drenthe
Bos is a shepherd at the Bargerveen – Schoonebeek sheepfold in Drenthe. This is also the home of the Groningen city herd. “The sheep in the city flock are doing well. We recently picked them up from the city. We didn’t make that a big deal. The weather was bad, and the animals no longer looked so presentable due to the bad weather. They are now wintering here in the sheepfold.”
“Sometimes you have to dare to take a risk”
The shepherd is already preparing for spring: “We want the herd to remain strong and at a good level. To ensure that there will be enough lambs later, the ewes are introduced to the rams during this period. And of course it is a risk, many sheep together, and the bluetongue virus. But sometimes you also have to dare to take a risk.”
“I worry”
Bos hopes that a vaccine will come onto the market soon. “A vaccine has already been developed in South Africa, but it is not yet allowed on the market because it does not meet the requirements. I don’t hear much about that at the moment, but I can imagine that people don’t show the back of their tongue either. Developing a vaccine is of course a gold mine. But it would be very good if something came soon. It is cold here, but in other countries you see that the virus is still spreading. I recently saw a case in Kent, England. So it remains close, and little needs to be done to awaken it here again. So yes, I am concerned about that.”
2023-12-03 15:35:00
#Spread #bluetongue #decreased #winter #worried #spring #Oog
