Government officials have confirmed 18 more cases of Schmallenberg virus on farms in the UK. The cases, confirmed today by the Animal Health and veterinary Laboratories Agency, are in Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex and Hertfordshire (which is outside the zone previously deemed to be ‘at risk’). There are currently 29 confirmed cases of Schmallenberg in the UK, up from 11 last week.

 image expired

Schmallenberg virus, named after the German town where it was first identified, is thought to have reached the UK via midges blown over the Channel from Germany and the Netherlands, where there have been hundreds of cases, mostly on sheep farms. The disease affects ruminants and may also affect camelids; it can cause congenital abnormalities, still births and foetal abortion if a pregnant animal is infected.

The virus, which gives livestock flu-like symptoms, has also spread on the continent. The German newspaper Bild has reported that the number of confirmed cases in the country has risen by 34 since Friday to 314. Most cases are in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Although veterinary health agencies in a number of countries are working together to share information on the new disease, much about SBV remains unknown. It is not known whether the virus is a new strain, or if has remained undiscovered until now; even the name is currently considered informal until scientists have fully classified the disease.

More cases are expected to be reported as lambing begins with the onset of Spring, though scientists have predicted that no new infections will occur until biting insects, which are thought to transfer the disease, re-emerge later in the year.

Tweet