Where sheep and other cattle die massively last summer due to a bluet -tongue infection, the number of infected animals is zero this summer. This is according to figures from the NVWA. In fact, no blue -tongue infection has been reported all year round. Sheep holders and veterinarians see the high vaccination rate, antibodies that are present in animals and favorable summer weather as a reason.
Catrinus Homan from Doldersum will not soon forget the summer of 2024. The shepherd lost nearly two hundred sheep to the Blauwtong virus that period. “I still don’t get over it myself,” he says. “It was a big drama to have to experience.”
This summer no contamination of the blue tongue virus has been reported. And Homan notices that too. He blames the absorbing infections on the quality of the vaccine. The shepherd has previously vaccinated, without the desired result. “There are several vaccines in the circulation. I used the best -tested vaccine from last year this year to vaccinate the sheep. Apparently that is a good means.”
Colleague shepherd Jelle Kootstra, who lets his herd graze on the Holtingerveld, also sees that vaccination has paid off. He also lost a hefty number of sheep for the summer. Blue tongue became fatal for about a hundred of the seven hundred sheep. “It was one bowl of misery. It was treating sheep every day, we were cleaning up dead sheep all day,” Kootstra looks back. “Last February all sheep and lambs had a vaccination. We also vaccinated last year, but then we had more than a hundred dead sheep. This year’s vaccine is doing well so far.”
Kootstra also sees that the weather this summer contributes to the absence of a bluet -tongue outbreak. “Last year we had a gigantic wet summer. Then you also have more hits (Type of mosquito, ed.). This summer it is pretty dry. I think that together ensures that we are not bothered by it now. “
Last year various vaccines against blue tongue came on the market with different effectiveness. Erik Mansveld from Havelterberg chose to have only the pregnant sheep in this year. “Last year we had half vaccinated and half not to see what the vaccine did. Of the entered sheep, more die than of the non-initated sheep. I don’t know what that is about, that can also be a fluke.”
According to him, the fact that he also sees no blue -tongue outbreak is due to the antibodies that the animals have. “I think it has to do with immunity. Most ruminants have all been infected last year or the year before. They have antibodies in them.”
Vetarts Vincent Perney explains that it is a combination of those reasons that ensures that the blue tongue virus does not grab it this summer, but also earlier this year. “A lot has been vaccinated and it has to do with the high amount of antibodies.” Those antibodies build animals that have previously been infected with bluetong. “That is why a very large part of the population is protected.”
He also sees the warm weather of this summer as one of the reasons for the lack of bluet tongue infections. “As a result, the fuss population is not very quickly building. In warm, dry weather, that population does not develop very quickly. The virus in the tnuts itself does develop, but the Knutten population is limited.” Perney does expect that that fuss population will grow again after the rainfall from a few weeks ago. “Then that fuss population will probably increase.”
Despite the good news that no reports of Blauwtong were made in the whole of 2025, farmers remain vigilant. “I expect it to be ready, otherwise I would have had it. But I don’t want to cheer too early,” says Mansveld. Kootstra is more reluctant. “I hope it is fine, but you don’t know. I will stay alert,” says Kootstra.