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Blue tongue campaign - Claire Waring finds out about the current plans for mass vaccination
BLUE tongue disease is caused by a virus, spread by biting midges. It affects ruminants, including alpacas, and was confirmed in East Anglia on September 28, 2007. At 2pm on March 19, there were 110 premises where blue tongue had been confirmed.
On 20 March 2008, the previous protection zone was replaced by protection zone 1 and protection zone 2. They are both still within the surveillance zone and together make up the restricted zone. The Welsh Assembly has declared a restricted zone in south-east Wales. On 28 March, the boundaries of the protection zones were extended. The latest details of these zones can be found on the Defra website (www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/ notifiable/bluetongue/latest/index.htm). It is well worth checking this site regularly as the situation is very fluid and can change rapidly. With the end of the vector-free period, no animal may be moved out of the protection zones or between them without a special licence.
The UK government has placed an order with animal health company Intervet for 22.5 million doses of a Bluetongue Serotype 8 (BTV-8) vaccine which should be available from May. The vaccine will be available from vets in 50 ml and 20 ml bottles, with the dose likely to be 1 ml. As part of the vaccine licensing process, discussions on dose size are continuing between Intervet and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate.
For the vaccine to be effective in controlling the disease, at least 80 per cent of susceptible domestic animals need to be vaccinated. If a sufficient pool of protective immunity can be created in this population, there is a chance that Bluetongue could be eradicated from the UK.
The government has decided against a compulsory vaccination programme for a number of reasons so this will be a voluntary scheme.
The potential benefits of vaccination are seen as:
protecting stock from the impact of Bluetongue
reducing losses and welfare problems
reducing chronic effects such as lameness, milk production and weight loss
reducing abortions and foetal abnormalities
facilitating the movement and trade of vaccinated animals.
Under European Council Directive 2000/75/EC, vaccination is only allowed in a protected zone. This has been translated into the Bluetongue Order (England) 2007 and equivalent legislation for Scotland and Wales. Under this, no vaccination against blue tongue can be carried out except when authorised by the Secretary of State. The vaccination plan in England will be implemented under the official control of Defra and the equivalent competent authorities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. As the first vaccine delivery will only be 2 million doses, first priority will be given to vaccination of domestic susceptible species in the protection zone in east and south-east England.
The vaccine on order has not yet been granted a marketing authorisation but if granted, this is only likely to be for use on cattle and sheep. Vaccination of any other species would have to take place under the cascade system under the direct personal responsibility of a vet. Sheep are expected to require one dose and cattle two doses, three to four weeks apart, but trials are ongoing. The British Alpaca Society is funding initial research into the efficacy of the vaccine in alpacas.
Twelve organisations originally supporting the Joint campaign Against Bluetongue (JAB) have been joined by the British Camelids Alpacas and Llamas (the British Alpaca Society and the British Llama Society). They all support the joint industry/Defra vaccination plan for Bluetongue. They fully support a campaign to achieve mass vaccination of animals in England that are susceptible to the disease and support the voluntary, industry compulsory, mass vaccination programme. The bureaucracy associated with an EU order for compulsory vaccination would slow down the vaccination programme and put the business of individual farmers at greater risk. There would also be an increased likelihood that the virus would spread across the country before animals could be vaccinated.
All farmers in the protection zone who have susceptible livestock are urged to order sufficient vaccine and to use it as soon as it becomes available.
The latest situation regarding blue tongue and the protection zones can be found on the Defra website.
4:09pm Wednesday 23rd April 2008
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