The Schmallenberg virus is so named after the town in Germany where it was first identified in December 2011. It is associated with still births and foetal abnormalities in mainly sheep, but also cattle and goats, and has been found in flocks in the south of England. The virus is in the Simbu serogroup of the Orthobunyavirus group, which are found in midges and mosquitoes, but it is not yet known if the virus is spread by direct animal to animal contact. This could spell disaster for livestock farming in the UK.
The Health Protection Agency says there is no risk to human health, and so far no farm workers working with infected animals have fallen ill. Surveillance is ongoing by both the Veterinary Laboratories Agency and the Health Protection Agency. A third of the cases in the UK have been identified in Sussex.
The Health Protection Agency says there is no risk to human health, and so far no farm workers working with infected animals have fallen ill. Surveillance is ongoing by both the Veterinary Laboratories Agency and the Health Protection Agency. A third of the cases in the UK have been identified in Sussex.
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The financial impact has yet to hit, however, as ewes delivering deformed lambs will also be slaughtered, costing the farmer hundreds of pounds for each infected animal. This latest blow to UK farming could also affect exports of both live animals and meat products to non-EU countries, further compounding the misery.