Schmallenberg virus More and more lambs affected

Novel animal disease: Schmallenberg virus spreads

20/01/2012

In many flocks of sheep raged a new animal epidemic, which has the consequence that the lambs of the infected animals are born with severe malformations and not viable. The Schmallenberg virus named after its place of discovery in the Sauerland can also be dangerous to goats and cows, but according to current knowledge, there is no danger of infection for humans.

More and more companies have reported stillbirths and severe malformations in newborn lambs in recent weeks. More than 20 German sheep farms are already affected by the infectious disease. Especially in North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony is currently a massive spread of the Schmallenberg virus to observe, but also from Hesse have already reported the first suspected cases. The sheep breeding association from North Rhine-Westphalia explained that the new animal epidemic is spreading rapidly.

Increased number of infections in Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia
Although the companies affected so far are still relatively manageable, the spread of the pathogens causes considerable concern for the experts. So the virus had already occurred in sheep stocks in the North Rhine-Westphalian Hopsten, Emmerich am Rhein, Borken, Rees, Wesel, Kempen, Essen, Dinslaken, Hünxe, Hamminkeln, Balve, Schmallenberg and Hamm. In Lower Saxony flocks of sheep in Bassum, Grossenkneten, Großefehn, Jade, Wardenburg and Wingst were affected. According to the experts of the NRW sheep breeding association, the virus has also occurred in some of the neighboring countries Belgium and the Netherlands. For example, 52 infections have already been reported in the Netherlands with the Schmallenberg virus and in Belgium 14. France and the United Kingdom have considerably intensified their surveillance in view of the spread of the virus.

Control the spread of the novel animal disease
In order to detect the spread of the virus, the Federal Government has issued a reporting obligation for infections with the Schmallenberg virus. In addition, the federal research institute for animal health is to collect and analyze 60 blood samples of cattle and sheep in all federal states nationwide. Since the Schmallenberg virus was first detected in 2011, the pathogen has spread relatively quickly in northern Germany and the northwestern neighboring countries. The pathogens are transmitted by mosquitoes, whereby the disease brings with it relatively little risk for adult animals, with an infection of pregnant mother animals however threatening serious health consequences for the unborn lambs. They come deformed and often not viable to the world. Although the current findings assume that there is no risk of infection for humans, a final assessment of the health risks is not yet available. (Fp)

Image: macro depilatory