Bluetongue found in imported cow
Friday, 14 Dec 2007 19:11
Bluetongue was detected during routine checks on a German cow
Bluetongue disease was detected in a cow imported to Britain earlier today, the government has confirmed.
The animal was culled as it presented an infection risk to the local midge population, which could in turn have passed the disease on to the British cow population.
According to the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), bluetongue was detected through routine post-import testing on a farm near Middlesbrough.
Officials say there is no evidence that the virus is circulating in the local area but the farm has been placed under restrictions. It lies outside the existing protection and surveillance zones set up in the wake of this autumn's outbreak in East Anglia.
Acting chief veterinary officer Fred Landeg said: "Importers need to carefully consider the potential risks to UK industry as a whole from importing animals from bluetongue restricted zones."
The animal in question originated from within a protection zone in Lower Saxony in Germany.
The disease was initially detected on September 22nd and tests confirmed initial suspicions six days later. It had never previously been encountered in the UK.
Bluetongue affects ruminants including goats, deer and cattle and manifests itself through symptoms of excessive salivation, fever and cyanosis of the tongue and lips.