Germany has seen an explosion of bluetongue cases this year, authorities said on Tuesday, as fears grow across Europe about the disease affecting sheep and cattle.
The country has recorded 1,885 cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 (BTV-3) since the beginning of 2024, according to the Friedrich Loeffler Institute, Germany’s leading animal disease research center.
During the whole of 2023, there were just 23 cases.
“There has been a real surge since the beginning of July in farms with susceptible animals,” a spokeswoman for the institute told AFP.
New cases are being added every day and the number of cases could top 2,000 as soon as Thursday, the spokeswoman said.
The institute was unable to provide information on mortality rates.
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Bluetongue is a non-contagious viral disease transmitted by insects that affects ruminants such as cows and sheep but not pigs or horses. It is difficult to control once it takes hold.
It is not a danger to humans, but in animals it causes high fevers, mouth ulcers and swollen heads.
Support for farmers to tackle the disease through vaccinations is patchy in Germany, as responsibility rests with local authorities in the country’s 16 states.
The first outbreak of BTV-3 was recorded in Germany on October 12, 2023, according to the institute.
Since then, further cases have been concentrated in the west and center of the country, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse and Lower Saxony.
The government issued an emergency order for the provisional approval of three BTV-3 vaccines, pending formal EU approval.
As of October 2023, cases of dengue fever have also appeared in other countries, such as the Netherlands and Belgium.
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The disease has also recently hit France, causing concern among farmers.
BTV-3 is particularly deadly to sheep, but can also cause a significant drop in milk production in cows, according to the German institute.
Source: AFP