Concerns rise over Schmallenberg

Welsh livestock farmers have expressed their worries about the potential spread of Schmallenberg Virus (SBV) following the increasing incidence of the disease in southern England.

NFU Cymru Livestock Board committee members were told yesterday that the number of reported SBV cases in the UK had reached 83 with approximately 1,400 cases reported across the EU. One case has been reported in Gloucestershire. To date there are have been no official cases reported in Wales.

It is believed that the cases now being identified are a result of infection last autumn. The full impact of the disease in the UK will not be known for some time as it only becomes apparent when livestock are born. The disease is likely to have been transmitted by insects and it is thought the original source is infected midges blown across from Continental Europe.

Peter Davies, Chairman of the NFU Cymru Livestock Board said, "I would urge all farmers to remain extra vigilant for signs of the disease and to immediately report any unusual symptoms, abortions or stillbirths to their local vet or to the animal health office. This is still a relatively new virus and, as such, the more information that can be gathered about the disease, the quicker we hope a solution can be found."

Mr Davies continued, "We are extremely concerned about the impact this disease could have on our livestock. The focus now across the EU must be to work on developing a field test to identify the virus rapidly and a vaccine for farmers to protect their livestock from future outbreaks.

"There is no indication to date that animal products pose a risk of onward transmission or that the virus poses any risk to human health. However, we would advise farmers to take the usual sensible hygiene precautions when working with livestock."