Now that there is also contamination with the bluetongue virus on Texel, the vet has warned about the severity of the virus. The practice advises against moving sheep. The letter from the vet states that Texel has definitely been affected by bluetongue. One sheep has now died as a result of the infection. “If you have an animal with bluetongue, it can be disastrous for your business,” says sheep farmer Lennart Witte.
Texel sheep farmers had long hoped to be protected from the virus, but have now been affected. It is not clear exactly how the infection came about; it is possible that the sheep, which is now dead, became infected on the mainland.
Yet it would not be inconceivable that the infected midges (a type of fly, ed.) have now also reached Texel. In the meantime, sheep farmers are calling for no more animals to be moved.
“That would be a major disaster on Texel”
“If you think about it now, you don’t get sheep from somewhere else,” says sheep farmer Lennart Witte. The entrepreneur is co-owner of the Texel sheep farm on Pontweg. The company has 600 sheep and is known for allowing children to cuddle lambs there.
“Sixty percent of sheep that have bluetongue die from the disease. That’s quite tough.” Ruminants become infected with bluetongue when they are stung by a midge, a type of mosquito. “It would be a major disaster on Texel,” says Witte. The temperature is an important factor. “Below six degrees you no longer have any problems,” says the Texel sheep farmer. “But when I see the weather reports, it will remain warmer than 6 degrees for the time being.”
“If the sheep have bluetongue and they survive, then you know the lambs are going to die”
Witte hopes that his company will remain free from the virus. “If you get it, it has a huge impact. The ram is now also with the sheep. But if the sheep have bluetongue and they survive, then you know that the lambs will die. Then you also have a lot of misery afterwards.” I hope it will blow over on Texel.”
Keep it close to home
The Texel veterinary practice advises to keep the animals close to home. Moving the sheep to and from Texel can influence the accelerated spread of the virus. “Although there is no transport ban in the Netherlands, it is good to be aware of the possible consequences that moving animals can entail,” the letter to the sheep farmers states.
Earlier this week, the veterinary practice already suspected bluetongue at one of the companies on Texel based on the symptoms prevailing at the time. “Diagnostics have now shown that there is certainly no bluetongue on this farm,” the veterinary practice said.
Facts
The bluetongue virus is spread by midges, a type of mosquito. Infected insects sting sheep and other ruminants, thus transmitting it. Animals cannot transmit the virus to each other, and it is not dangerous to humans.
There is a reporting obligation for the bluetongue virus. Veterinarians can send the blood of sick animals to the laboratory at the University of Wageningen, where extensive research into the disease is conducted. However, this is not necessary: a veterinarian can also decide based on his own experiences that an animal has bluetongue and report this to the NVWA.
The last major outbreak of the virus was in 2006, and caused problems for years. The Netherlands was not officially bluetongue-free until 2009.
The current clinical picture is caused by the so-called ‘serotype 3’, a kind of subtype of the virus. Because this is a serotype that has not previously circulated in the Netherlands, there is currently no vaccine available.
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