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 07 September 2008 02:30 BST

New Bluetongue outbreaks

Wednesday, 17 Oct 2007 16:09
Bluetongue is transferred to animals by insects
Two new outbreaks of bluetongue disease have been discovered, it has emerged today.

Environment secretary Hilary Benn told MPs that the disease has been now confirmed at premises in Kent and Cambridgeshire.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said one of the new cases was near Ashford and the other near Peterborough.

Both cases are within the current protection zone, set up following the first outbreak of the disease last month, but will result in new stricter 20km (12-mile) control zones being implemented.

"In line with the UK bluetongue control strategy and EU legislation, control zones have been put in place around these two new cases, while investigations are undertaken to determine the disease situation," Defra said.

"The existing protection zone has also been extended accordingly."

Before today, 41 premises had been confirmed as being affected by bluetongue, mostly in a cluster in the Ipswich area, with further cases in Essex and near Lowestoft.

The bluetongue virus affects all ruminants including goats, deer and cattle and is accompanied by symptoms of fever, excessive salivation and cyanosis of the tongue and lips.

Until the first outbreak on September 22nd it had never been encountered in the UK.

It is thought that the disease, usually confined to northern Africa and the Mediterranean, is spreading northwards through Europe owing to strong winds.End of story


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