BLUETONGUE continued its march across Europe this summer, hitting farms in Germany and France, and reaching Hungary and Sweden, despite vaccination efforts. But the virus hasn鈥檛 spread in the UK 鈥� so far.
Philip Mellor of the Institute for Animal 91色情片 in Pirbright, Surrey, credits mass vaccination of livestock in southern England plus a cool spring that slowed the biting midges that carry bluetongue. Also infection was less widespread in the UK last year than on the continent, so less virus may have survived the winter. 鈥淚f this lasts till the midges die in November, I鈥檒l be celebrating,鈥� Mellor says.
He isn鈥檛 celebrating yet, though. This month England allowed vaccinations up to the Scottish border, but in the absence of apparent danger few northern farmers have vaccinated. Yet under European Union law they can now import untested cattle from the continent. In fact, German cattle carrying bluetongue turned up in northern England last week, and the virus, which kills sheep, may still spread into this major sheep-farming area. Mellor says the law should ban any imports before vaccination takes effect.
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