Another case of bluetongue was identified in cattle on the Leicestershire and Warwickshire border. Following this, the restricted zone was extended on 1 November 2024 to include part of Warwickshire.
The zone now covers Bedfordshire, Berkshire (part), Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, the City of Kingston upon Hull, the East Riding of Yorkshire, East Sussex, Essex, Greater London, Hampshire (part), Hertfordshire, Kent, Leicestershire (part), Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Suffolk, Surrey, Warwickshire (part), and West Sussex.
To keep an eye on the ever-developing situation, visit the dynamic map APHA Interactive Bluetongue Virus Map
The license required for BTV-3 vaccination has changed; a general license can now be used for all counties in England.
Syvazul BTV-3 is given to actively immunise sheep, reduce viraemia, prevent mortality, and reduce the clinical signs and lesions caused by BTV-3.
Vaccination age: from 1 month of age in naive animals
Dose rate: is 2ml S/C (one dose)
Withdrawal: Zero days
Because of the severity of the symptoms and the high levels of morbidity and mortality, we advise you to vaccinate your whole flock. If you choose not to do this, we advise you to vaccinate everything of reproductive age. Please discuss vaccinating tups with your vet.
Bultavo-3 will actively immunise your herd against BTV-3.
Vaccination age: from 1 month of age in naive animals
Dose rate:
1st injection: 1ml I/M from 1 month of age in naive animals
2nd injection: 1ml I/M 3 weeks after the 1st injection
Withdrawal: Zero days
We advise you to vaccinate all breeding animals in your herd. The vaccine can be used during pregnancy. Please speak to your vet to discuss vaccinating breeding bulls.
The current BTV-3 vaccines are not licenced for camelids, but their use is allowable under licence. If you would like to discuss vaccination, please call us so we can determine whether vaccination is appropriate.
Certain Culicoide midges spread the virus, which can travel several km in a day and drift large distances with wind. Thus, the range of infection can be much greater than anticipated.
Cattle: Fever, salivation, photosensitisation, lesions in the mouth, vomiting. Some abnormal calves have been seen with cloudy eyes, dummy calves, but no PI’s.
Dairy: In addition to the above cattle symptoms, there is a significant milk drop.
Sheep: Salivation, isolation, fever, after a few days’ lesions develop in and around the lips/mouth, tucked up abdomen, difficulty breathing, nasal discharge, lameness (swollen legs/joints, interdigital lesions, de-hoofing), death. No abnormalities have been seen in lambs.
Camelids: Fever and nasal discharge.
For those of you who buy in animals, please remember to be mindful of the areas you are buying from and ask for a history of the farm, including BTV-3 vaccination status. Markets will be able to inform you if they are selling animals from restricted areas.
The license required for BTV-3 vaccination has changed; a general license can now be used for all counties in England.
For more information on BTV-3, please visit gov.uk or ruminanthw.org.uk for the latest updates. Hook Norton will also keep you updated via Newsletters, emails, texts, and social media, so make sure you follow us and are signed up for our mailing lists.
