Back to HOMEPAGE Bluetongue Disease Surveillance Zone creeps
ever closer to Cumbria and so
to the Scottish Border
James Irvine
Teviot Scientific, Cultybraggan Farm, Comrie, Perthshire
Filed 22 Mar 08
©www.land-care.org.uk
Another two cases of Bluetongue Disease have been identified. One within the Protection Zone and another within the Surveillance Zone, zones that had been redefined on 29th February. This has led to defra revising its Bluetongue Map as of 19th March.
The northern limit of the Surveillance Zone, which now extends to north and west Yorkshire, creeps ever near to Cumbria and so to the Scottish Border.
The revised defra map of 19th March 08 for Bluetongue Disease Surveillance and
Protected Zones shows the disease creeping towards Cumbria
even over the winter months
(to enlarge Click Here)
The infected animals were found during premovement testing, which is a requirement before animals can be moved out of either the Protected Zone or the Surveillance Zone during the Vector Free Period. It is believed that these animals became infected before the onset of the Vector Free Period, which ran from 21st December 2007 to 15th March 2008. This raises a number of issues.
It would appear that a Bluetongue infected beast has been present in the Surveillance Zone since before 21st December 2007: that is. for almost three months. That would be putting a great deal of reliance on the effectiveness of the Vector Free Period: meaning that there was no midge activity in terms of their being a vector for Bluetongue Disease during the whole of that time. There are worries that perhaps midge activity, including over wintering, is not necessarily as the authorities state it to be. Is the research so far conducted adequately robust to justify a secure and categorical answer to the question, particularly in relation to cattle that are housed?
It raises serious doubts about the wisdom of a vaccination plan that limits itself to a Protection Zone. Clearly the newly diagnosed case in the Surveillance Zone would have escaped vaccination, along with all the others in the area. With midge activity resurging as temperatures warm up in the Spring the Bluetongue virus would have plenty opportunity to spread.
While defra is often congratulated on being the first EU Member State to order Bluetongue vaccine in December 2007 (1), it was of course far too late in doing so. The risk of Bluetongue reaching the UK was recognised as far back as 2002, and was strikingly obvious in 2006 as well as throughout 2007, when the disastrous state of disease spread in Continental Europe was there for all to see. Far too much reliance had been put on so-called scientific epidemiological modelling which proved seriously misleading. The scientists failed to recognise how flawed the data was that they used for their modelling. They failed to use commonsense, preferring to act on policies that they claimed to be "evidence based".
What the new case in a Surveillance Zone tells us as far as Scotland is concerned, is that it is essential to vaccinate BEFORE the disease arrives, and not wait until it has arrived. Cumbria should be yelling from the rooftops that it wants compulsory vaccination of all its sheep and cattle as a top priority.
Vaccine manufacturers only make vaccines when they get a commercial order that is going to be honoured (i.e. paid for). There is no inherent problem in making vaccines to Bluetongue. But it does take time and the work can only begin as far as commercial vaccine manufacturers are concerned when someone provides the necessary financial commitment. No one ordered any vaccine until 20th December 2007, and then in insufficient quantities. To date Scotland has not yet announced that it has ordered any at all. A truly shameful situation.
©www.land-care.org.uk
References
1. Irvine, James (2007). Defra orders 2.2 million doses of Bluetongue serotype 8 vaccine for England for farmers to buy if they want to. What kind of health policy is that?
See HOMEPAGE, filed 20 Dec 08, www.land-care.org.uk Click Here to View
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