Britain 'safe' from blue tongue virus
Saturday, 19 Aug 2006 17:49
Sheep in Holland have the blue tongue virus
The government's chief veterinary officer has downplayed the risk of Britain's agricultural sector being decimated by a spread of the blue tongue virus among UK sheep.
Debbie Reynolds, speaking on the Today programme, was responding to confirmation that Dutch authorities had identified the presence of the blue tongue virus, which originates in Asia, in the Netherlands.
Although admitting that the discovery of the virus, which affects cattle and goats as well as sheep, was "a significant development", she explained that the way in which it is transmitted means the risk to British sheep is "low overall".
"There is an increased likelihood of the sheep disease being introduced by midges, but we think the risk is low overall because this is associated by a windborne spread," Ms Reynolds said.
"This is not like foot and mouth disease because it does not spread directly between cattle or between sheep."
Although it is unlikely that midges could travel across the North Sea or the English Channel, fears exist that the virus could be introduced to Britain if a virus-carrying midge is transported to the UK in a vehicle.
But Ms Reynolds rejected this claim as "very unlikely".
"These midges don't tend to go into buildings, which is one of the reasons that you house cattle and sheep to keep them safe from the infection," she explained.
She suggested that if the blue tongue virus were discovered in the UK it would be necessary to prevent its spread by halting all animal movements until the virus was eradicated.