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How BT8 may have got into the UK.
The stupidity of it beggars belief
James Irvine
Teviot Scientific, Cultybraggan Farm, Comrie,
Perthshire
Filed 23 Sep 07
©www.land-care.org.uk
No sooner had I finished my article on the first
case ever of Bluetongue virus to infect UK cattle (1),
but confirmation of what I had just surmised was the most probable
cause was all too clearly demonstrated. There on ITV at 11.00pm
was TV footage of Baylham Rare Breeds Farm with a Highland cow acting
as a pet for the children of tourists to pat from behind the flimsiest
of barriers that seemed to consist of a single tape. The children
were seen stretching out their hands to stroke a Highland cow's
nose or forehead. As previously mentioned, the farm boasted in its
tourist promotion that French was spoken. Did the children come
from France?
It does not take long for children and their parents
to travel from France. And who knows, they may have sailed into
a local port, giving the midges a free ride. They could so easily
have carried midges on their clothing or in their hair. When such
a person makes direct physical contact with a cow, the midges do
not have far to fly. They would be strongly attracted by the beast's
pheromones. They would have no difficulty in finding their way through
the cow's thick hair, pierce the skin and suck blood; and so infect
the cow, which would have no immunity to the virus that had thereby
been so simply transmitted.
The ITV news programme also mentioned that the
farm has just come out of a FMD scare, but did not reveal as to
whether visitors to the farm had been banned or not. According to
the "rules" in terms of protected and surveillance zones,
it would seem likely that, if visitors were ever restricted that
would only have happened over a short period, and not including
the recent past.
The potential of spreading BT8 to cattle in such
a situation is all too obvious.
The shear stupidity of letting such a combination
of circumstances happen beggars belief.
But that comes from formulating "rules"
in the face of political pressure to keep tourist enterprises open.
And then applying these "rules" without any further thought,
leaving behind common sense.
Remember, at the start of the the Foot and Mouth
Disease (FMD) outbreak this year, allegedly following the lack of
proper maintenance at Defra's own establishment at Pirbright (with
formal warnings not acted upon), the authorities permitted the public
to go for their walks through the FMD Restricted Zone. This was
only stopped after massive protest from the farmers in the area,
who were compelled to comply with the strictest of biosecurity measures,
These farmers had more commonsense than the Defra "experts"
in Page Street, London or the advisers to COBRA at Westminster.
Surprise, surprise: when the "rules"
were slavishly followed and the authorities reckoned every thing
would be fine (because the rules said so), relapses in the area
have been all too common. And they will still not get on with vaccination,
even although they say they have the ideal vaccine available right
next door at the Merial plant at Pirbright. But it is "rules"
again that prevent that.
Also, it was abundantly clear from the ITV news
report of the Bluetongue (BT) cow, that up to date on-site diagnostic
facilities in the form of mobile RT-PCR machines are not being used.
Otherwise we would not have tarchaic-like statements that
"samples have been taken from other cows
in the area and we should have the results tomorrow morning"
These machines, equipped with the proper reagents,
can test multiple samples highly accurately in about 1-2 hours.
Why in heavens name does Defra not swallow its pride and buy some
of them from the USA, where they have been developed and widely
used? There should be no problem in obtaining the ideal reagents,
as BT8 has been around for a long time. Plenty time in fact to study
it in every detail.
Is it not time that UK Animal Health experts banged
the table at Brussels? Yes it is, but they will only be in a good
position to do so if they are using the most up to date diagnostic
technology and vaccines.
But it is "rules" again that are claimed
to currently prevent the use of vaccination. That is until the disease,
be it FMD or BT8, has spread. Wherever did those in charge learn
their virology and immunology, the combination of which is essential
to the understanding of the effective use of vaccination? The purpose
of vaccination is to prevent spread by preventing transmission.
Got it?
At the level displayed by Defra itself, "strict
surveillance and biosecurity" are clearly not enough, but are
essential partners with vaccination. Please get on with it, initially
as a large preventative ring around the index case and work inwards.
Get the modern technology into immediate use, and argue with Brussels,
or whoever, afterwards.
If Merial cannot provide the vaccine soon enough,
is there no other vaccine manufacturer, or vaccine bank, that holds
a useful vaccine for BT8? It is emphatically not a new virus: only
new to the UK. And there has been lots of warning that it was likely
to arrive sooner than later in this country. Keeping fingers crossed
for a few good hard frosts is not enough. Climate change is already
indicating that our winters are getting wetter and warmer.
Somehow, even at this late stage, it is time the
authorities in the UK got a better grip on animal health and realise
that vaccination has to play a key role. For that role to be effective
there has to adequate forward planning and adequate investment.
©www.land-care.org.uk
References
1. Irvine, James 92007). The first
case ever of Bluetongue in the UK.
See ANIMAL HEALTH - GENERAL Homepage, filed 23 Sep 07,
www.land-care.org.uk Click
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