6 October 2007

Defra - Bluetongue uppdatering UK

Nedanstående är senaste uppdateringen från Defra (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs i Storbritannien)om Bluetongue:


Bluetongue confirmed as circulating in East Anglia
Since 22 September, laboratory tests have detected the presence of Bluetongue in a small number of animals on a number of different premises in Suffolk. These premises are all under restrictions and the infected animals have been culled. Defra confirmed on 28 September that Bluetongue disease is circulating between the local animal and midge population in East Anglia. The announcement follows further epidemiological investigation including surveillance results with the further cases of the disease identified so far.
From midnight Saturday 29 September the existing Bluetongue Temporary Control Area was replaced with a Bluetongue Control Zone around the area where cases have been identified and a larger Bluetongue Protection Zone. The latter covers parts of the counties from Lincolnshire to Sussex. Ruminants are able to move within the Bluetongue Control Zone, but not out of it, except to slaughter in the Bluetongue Protection Zone. Ruminants will be able to move within the Bluetongue Protection Zone but not out of it. Surveillance and epidemiological investigations are continuing.
All movement licence conditions for both Bluetongue and Foot and Mouth Disease must be complied with.

Defra confirmed that, as of 5.00pm on 4 October, there are a total of 25 premises infected with Bluetongue in the UK. These are all within the Bluetongue Control Zone. These cases follow reporting of disease by farmers, and further disease surveillance work around the first infected premises.
Defra has today published a further report on ongoing epidemiological work into the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak.
At day 63 of the FMD outbreak there are currently 8 confirmed Infected Premises. Evidence continues to indicate that this outbreak is likely to be confined to a relatively small area of the country and not become geographically extensive and that the risk of spread outside of the Foot and Mouth Disease risk area remains very low.