On Friday the protocol for symptoms compatible with bluetongue virus serotype 4 was activated, after its detection in a sheep farm located in the municipality of Ciudad Rodrigo.
The confirmation of the presence of the virus came from the samples taken in the laboratory and has already been communicated to the Ministry. It was decided to immobilize the operation, as required by the aforementioned protocol.
The legal measures consist of the compulsory vaccination of the veterinary units concerned and the establishment of a restraint zone around the origin of the outbreak. This concerns sheep and cattle within a radius of 50 kilometers around the positive outbreak and mandatory vaccination in this perimeter. Likewise, vaccination within a radius of 100 kilometers around the same animals is voluntary.
The transfer of animals to the slaughterhouse is allowed in all cabins, but lifelong travel is only allowed with a Negative PCR. There are approximately 260,000 vaccine-susceptible cattle and 110,000 sheep. The latter will receive a single dose, while the former will receive two, three weeks apart.
Four teams of vaccination of the official veterinary service of the Ministry for sheep and another 24 for cattle, in a task that is estimated to last 50 days in the five veterinary units concerned, which are Ciudad Rodrigo, Sequeros, Tamames, La Fuente de San Esteban and Lumbrales.
In this area, visits, censuses and verification of symptoms in animals are carried out, as well as recommendations to farmers to take extreme biosecurity measures. Please note that the the potential for transmission to humans is zeroas the virus is caused by a mosquito that affects only ruminants.
