The Joint campaign Against Bluetongue (JAB) is launching a series of roadshow meetings to give updates on Bluetongue disease to local farmers, vets and the wider farming industry.
 
Events will be staged across the south of England, the area of the country most at risk if bluetongue virus, which is currently circulating in central France, manages to cross the Channel. UK government disease surveillance has suggested there is a relatively high likelihood of this happening in late summer this year, if midges that spread the virus are blown across the Channel.

The midges that transmit bluetongue are active between May and October and can infect all ruminants such as sheep, cattle, goats and deer as well as camelids like llama and alpaca. According to the latest surveillance findings, an outbreak in late summer is rated the most likely – the probability of incursion being 5-10 per cent in May, 33-60 per cent in July and 80 per cent in September.

At the JAB campaign meetings, audiences will be able to hear about what clinical signs to look out for, what to do if Bluetongue is suspected and find out more about the vaccine to assess the risk to the farm and stock.
 
Commenting on the raodshow, NFU animal health and welfare adviser Rebecca Veale said: “We are targeting farming communities across the south of England as we know that this is likely to be the route of transmission by infected midges being blown across from France where the situation is being carefully monitored. The meetings that are being organised will include presentations from vets, scientists and NFU advisers and the audiences can also get involved in question and answer sessions.”
 
Details on roadshow meetings can be found here.