News information - 24th September 2007:

Isle of Man farmers face up to 'Bluetongue'

Manx livestock farmers are dealing with the risk of another disease which threatens their animals .

An isolated case of Bluetongue has been found in Suffolk on a rare breeds farm at a time when UK and Manx farmers are already experiencing restrictions to animal movements enforced after the outbreaks of Foot and Mouth disease.

The two diseases are significantly different both in the way they are transmitted and their virulence. Bluetongue is spread by midges and is more common in tropical and sub-tropical climates rather than in continental Europe, however cases have been identified in Northern Europe in recent months and a UK infection was anticipated.

Bluetongue is not as infectious as Foot and Mouth Disease, which is spread readily between infected animals. Bluetongue cannot be spread directly from one animal to another and requires the disease vector, midges, to spread it. It is an unpleasant disease for ruminant animals including sheep, cattle, deer and goats but is not as serious a risk to animal health as Foot and Mouth Disease is. Neither disease presents a direct risk to humans.

Howard Quayle, President of the Manx NFU commented: "This is yet another problem added to the farmers' pile, caused not by a bio-security breakdown but as an inconvenient truth of global warming."

Manx farmers are advised to be vigilant for signs of Bluetongue and inform Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Animal health division if they suspect any of their animals are infected. Bluetongue is a Notifiable Disease under Manx Law any suspected case on the island should be reported to DAFF by calling: 01624 685844 or by e-mail: Animal.Health@gov.im

Clinical signs in sheep include:
Eye and nasal discharges
Drooling as a result of ulcerations in the mouth
High body temperature
Swelling of the mouth, head and neck
Lameness
Haemorrhages into or under the skin
Inflammation at the junction of the skin and the horn of the foot - the coronary band
Respiratory problems
A blue tongue is rarely a clinical sign of infection
Deaths of sheep in a flock may reach as high as 70%. Animals that survive can lose condition with a reduction in meat and wool production.

Clinical signs in cattle: (It's possible that cattle will show no signs of illness, however clinical signs have included below)
Nasal discharge
Swelling in, and ulceration, of the mouth
Swollen teats
Tiredness
Saliva drooling out of the mouth
In cattle, the disease cannot be diagnosed on clinical grounds and requires laboratory testing for confirmation
The disease can only be confirmed by laboratory tests.

Full details regarding Bluetongue are available at the UK's DEFRA animal health and welfare website visit http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/bluetongue

For the latest information regarding DAFF Foot and Mouth restriction advice visit http://www.gov.im/daff/footand mouth.xml

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