“explosion of cases”, with 190 confirmed outbreaks in the north and east of France, announces the Ministry of Agriculture

The number of outbreaks of bluetongue (BT) has more than quadrupled in France in eight days, with 190 outbreaks confirmed as of August 22, mainly in ewes and sheep, the Ministry of Agriculture said in a press release published on Friday August 23. “We are facing an explosion of cases, but always close to the first outbreaks (…) in an area that is not expanding much”the ministry said.

Ten departments in the north of France are now affected: Aisne, Ardennes, Haute-Marne, Marne, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Meuse, Moselle, Nord, Oise, Pas-de-Calais. A previous government report indicated 41 outbreaks on August 14 in six departments. The spread of FCO, also known as “blue tongue disease”is also accelerating in Europe, with Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium also being badly affected. Vaccination against this disease, which is not transmissible to humans and of which a new serotype (3) appeared on August 5 in France, has begun, but too late, according to the National Sheep Federation (FNO). “We are definitely in an explosion phase. We could have vaccinated a month earlier to have acquired immunity at the peak of the epidemic.”Emmanuel Fontaine, in charge of health affairs at the FNO, told AFP.