There have been six new cases of Schmallenberg virus reported in the UK since last week. All newly reported cases are in cattle.

The pattern of infection was predicted by the AHVLA earlier this year; the agency warned that, as infections in sheep began to fall off, more cattle infections would come to light as animals infected during late summer and autumn last year, when all infections are thought to have occurred, would begin to give birth.

In the UK there have been 266 confirmed cases of the virus, of which 47 are in cattle and 222 in sheep. There are three cases so far where both sheep and cattle from the same premises have been infected. 

Kent, East Sussex and West Sussex have been worst affected by the virus with 46, 44 and 40 cases respectively. The disease, which can cause congenital defects and stillbirth if animals are infected during pregnancy, has mostly affected livestock in the South East of the UK, though cases have been reported as far North as Leicestershire and Lincolnshire.

In Europe, the total number of cases has risen to 4,307. France has now reported more cases than Germany, where the disease was first identified and is thought to have originated. As well as the 266 cases reported in the UK, France has 1,623 cases of the virus, Germany 1,521, Belgium 533, Netherlands 344, Luxembourg 12 and Italy seven. There has also been one case reported in the South of Spain.

As the virus, which belongs to the same family as the Akabane virus found in Australia, was only definitively identified in November 2011, veterinary scientists have said that they can do little more than monitor the spread and build understanding at present.

Farmers have been asked to report any abnormalities to their vets during calving to enable veterinary institutions, which are working together across Europe to assess the situation and counter the disease, to build up an accurate picture of infection.

Tweet