Back to HOMEPAGE Bluetongue Restriction Zones in Europe
as of 24th June 08
James Irvine
Teviot Scientific, Cultybraggan Farm, Comrie, Perthshire
Filed 30 Jun 08
©www.land-care.org.uk
The whole of France has now been declared a Protection Zone for Bluetongue Disease serotype 8 (BTv8).
France, whose livestock were ravaged by bluetongue virus v8 in 2007 in its second year of the disease, is undergoing a nation-wide vaccination campaign. It started in April 2008. The French authorities state that all cattle, goats and sheep should be treated against serotype 8 by the end of the year.
The French campaign will also target Bluetongue serotype 1, a strain that was first discovered in France in November 2007. As can be seen from the most recent map of Bluetongue Restriction Zones, Bluetongue v1 affects the south west corner of France and the north of Spain. Unless France can effectively control the spread of Bluetongue serotype 1 by vaccination very quickly, the UK should be seriously thinking of vaccinating its livestock against it in addition to BTv8. But no, England is only vaccinating against BTv8, and only on a voluntary basis.
Bluetongue Restriction Zones in Europe as of 24th June 08
(To enlarge Click Here)
The authorities in France take a somewhat different approach to those in the UK over the matter of compensating their farmers for losses caused by Bluetongue disease. According to the revealing account on www.wamwell.com dated 30th June 08, the French authorities communicate with their farmers in a manner that is only to be admired from this side of the Channel (but you will need to understand the French language to get the full benefit of it).
Much of the responsibility for the tragedy of the epidemic of bluetongue affecting EU Member States, starting in 2006, must rest with the European Commission and its outdated rules on vaccination in disease-free countries or zones. There was clearly a lack of coordination amongst Member States, and coordination is what the EC and the EU Parliament claims its purpose is all about. The EC and the EU Parliament failed to put together in a timely manner a commercial order or orders for the vaccine companies to manufacture appropriate vaccines. As could have been anticipated, and as it has transpired, there was no great problem for the vaccine manufacturers to make vaccines against different strains of Bluetongue when contracted to do so. They had been in the business of making effective and safe vaccines against other strains of Bluetongue virus for years previously.
For far too long the EC, the EU Parliament and individual Member States hid behind the pathetic excuse that no vaccine against Bluetongue v8 was available. None was available, or ever would be, until someone ordered it and was prepared to guarantee payment for it.
Surprise, surprise! When vaccine to BTv8 was eventually ordered it appeared in what has been described as "record time". The trouble now is that the demand for it is so great that production facilities have difficulty in supplying the huge orders quickly enough. Where was sensible contingency planning at a European level?
©www.land-care.org.uk
References
Warmwell Website (2008). PZ now covers the whole of France:June 30 2008
See www.warmwell.com
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