Published17. October 2024, 8:09 p.m.
Animals: Switzerland will be able to vaccinate against blue tongue disease
Faced with the urgency of the situation, the Federal Office of Food Safety and Veterinary Affairs authorized the importation of vaccines against BTV-3, which affects animals.
The infection can cause serious symptoms, such as fever, inflammation of the mucous membranes, lameness and abortions.
AFP
It will not protect animals from infection, but it will reduce symptoms and mortality. A vaccine against blue tongue disease can now be used in Switzerland. Faced with the urgency of the situation and the number of farms affected, the Federal Office of Food Safety and Veterinary Affairs has decided, in agreement with Swissmedic, to allow distributors to import vaccines against serotype 3 (BTV-3) and deliver them to veterinary practices.
Distribution of cases in Switzerland since the end of August. Map updated October 11, 2024.
SKILLFUL
At the beginning of September, the cantons of Vaud, Basel-Stadt, Basel-Landschaft, Thurgau, Solothurn and Jura were already affected. Jura farms are particularly affected by the virus transmitted by small mosquitoes to sheep, cattle and goats, in particular.
Infection caused by BTV-3 causes serious symptoms, particularly in sheep, such as fever, inflammation of the mucous membranes, lameness and abortions. The mortality rate can be very high. At the beginning of September, a breeder from Fahy (JU) reported having lost a ewe and three lambs in two weeks.
Vaccination, which aims to limit losses, is carried out by herd veterinarians, at the request of animal owners and at their expense. If it is recommended, it is carried out on a voluntary basis.
Zoom in the canton of Vaud
In French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino, serotype 8 is more prevalent, unlike the cantons of north-eastern Switzerland, where serotype 3 is more present. “While the symptoms are much the same, the disease caused by serotype 8 appears to spread more slowly. In the canton of Vaud, the diagnosis was made in 88 sheep and cattle farms (85 times serotype 8 and 3 times serotype 3). But only a minority of animals develop severe symptoms,” says Giovanni Peduto, cantonal veterinarian. The latter indicates that around forty sheep died due to the disease or were euthanized, like four cattle. He notes that the loss of animals and loss of production can have serious economic repercussions on farms.
(lvb)
