The disease known as “blue tongue” manifests itself by fever, respiratory problems, a hanging tongue or even the loss of pregnant puppies.
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A first outbreak in France of bluetongue (BT) serotype 3, which can be fatal for sheep, has been confirmed in a sheep farm in Marpent (Nord), the Nord prefecture announced on Wednesday 7 August. This outbreak, “confirmed on August 5th” by theNational Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safetyis the first in France of this serotype, “the disease was previously only present in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium”underlines the prefecture.
FCO, which is not transmissible to humans, is already present in France, with serotypes 4 in Corsica and 8 in mainland France. Also called “blue tongue disease”it manifests itself by fever, respiratory problems, a hanging tongue or even the loss of pregnant young. It passes from an infected ruminant to an unaffected animal via biting insects. Bluetongue weakens animals, causes economic losses and disrupts international trade. Its detection does not result in the euthanasia of animals, unlike avian flu.
Following the detection of this serotype in a Belgian outbreak close to France, the Ministry of Agriculture announced last week the creation of a zone “regulated”from Pas-de-Calais to Moselle, where the movement of cattle, goats and sheep is subject to restrictions. A vaccination “voluntary” will be proposed and the vaccine “made available free of charge by the State”the ministry announced on Monday.
