Farmers are being urged to vaccinate their cattle against Bluetongue ahead of spring turnout as the virus continues to spread and cause fertility problems across England and Wales.

Speaking during a briefing organised by the National Beef Association (NBA) and Ruminant Health and Welfare (RH&W), who are part of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) industry campaign Battle Bluetongue, UK Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Christine Middlemiss and NBA Chief Executive Neil Shand called on farmers to act before it was too late.

With Defra reporting 320 confirmed cases of Bluetongue since 1 July last year, Dr Middlemiss and Mr Shand encouraged farmers to actively report incidents of the disease so a clear picture could be established.

Mr Shand said: “From what we are seeing in England and a little bit in Wales as we start the spring calving season, there are higher levels of abortions and dummy calves, calves being born with partial brains or, in some cases, no brain at all.

“We are seeing this across the whole of England but, interestingly, we are seeing very little in the eastern counties where there would have been a relatively high uptake of the vaccine last year because they were in the restriction zone.

“With the value of livestock currently, it’s a no brainer to protect cattle against bluetongue and the best way to do this is vaccination.”

Dr Middlemiss echoed the calls for vaccination and urged farmers to be proactive.

She said: “The clinical sign you have not yet seen in your cattle is the reproductive one. It is going to come some months down the line from infection, so you have got to be thinking ahead before bulling to give the right protection.

“Think about vaccination now while you can still handle the cattle and they are inside, rather than waiting to see if there is an impact in a number of months’ time.”

When it came to vaccinating bulls and tups against Bluetongue, Dr Middlemiss and Mr Shand advised farmers to vaccinate ahead of time and semen test their animals six to eight weeks after vaccination to ensure fertility levels were optimum ahead of breeding.

Mr Shand said there was likely to be high levels of under-reporting of Bluetongue due to the hidden nature of the disease and asked farmers to come forward if it impacted their herd.

“The official Defra statistics could just be a fraction of the true picture,” he added.

Bluetongue is a notifiable animal disease. If you suspect it you must report it immediately by calling the Defra Rural Services Helpline on 03000 200 301. In Wales, contact 0300 303 8268. In Scotland, contact your local Field Services Office. Failure to do so is an offence.

Find BTV-3 resources, FAQs, webinars and regular updates via Bluetongue Virus - Ruminant Health & Welfare.