According to figures released to on Monday (14th January) by AHVLA, there have been several hundred new cases of Schmallenberg Virus reported across the UK since mid-December.

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The AHVLA data is supported by results from blood tests conducted at Liverpool University and Scotland's Rural College. To date, all cases in Scotland have all been detected in animals introduced from England.

Though the testing results show a sharp increase in the number of cases being reported in the UK as lambing gets underway, Schmallenberg virus remains a non-notifiable disease, so the actual number of cases may be higher. The AHVLA data reveal 1,211 confirmed cases across the UK, compared to 976 cases a month ago.

The disease, which is spread by biting insects, causes flu-like symptoms in cattle and is often symptomless in sheep. However, if animals are infected during the early stages of pregnancy the virus can cause foetal abnormalities, still birth and spontaneous abortion.

Scottish scientists announced last week that they had made a breakthrough in developing a synthetic strain of Schmallenberg in a lab, which they were successfully able to manipulate. The researchers said this advancement will accelerate the process of developing a vaccine against the disease.

Speaking from the Glasgow Centre of Virus Research, Professor Massimo Palmarini said on Friday (11th January), "We now know much more about how the virus causes the disease than we did a couple of months ago." He said the research process has improved understanding of SBV's effects on unborn animals; they discovered that the virus grows in the brain and spinal cord, which is why it causes brain damage and other malformations in infected foetuses.

Another vaccine has already been submitted to EU regulatory authorities for approval. Experts have said that, at the earliest, a vaccine against SBV could be available later in 2013.

As lambing gets underway in the UK, some farms have reported heavy losses from Schmallenberg virus, although ahead of lambing government scientists suggested only five percent of herds would experience losses and the toll on the majority of these herds would be small. Defra's chief veterinary officer Dr Nigel Gibbons made the pronouncements in December, though he said the majority of farms in England and Wales are likely to be infected.

On Friday, an AHVLA spokesperson told Farming Online that the agency is currently examining data to establish patterns which could improve understanding of the virus, but this is proving difficult as Schmallenberg virus remains a novel disease, having only been discovered in autumn 2011.

However, although government sources confirm that they are working to build up a better picture of the disease, many farmers have been critical of the lack of readily available information on the new virus. Arboviruses such as Schmallenberg, which are spread by insects, are becoming increasingly prevalent around the world, having initially been limited to tropical regions, according to Professor Palmarini.