- Bluetongue cases in Saxony rank second lowest among all regions
Blue Tongue Illness has been making its way throughout Germany over the past ten months, with only a single instance reported in Saxony as of now. Berlin is currently the only federal state without any reported cases in animals, according to the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute (FLI). As a result, Saxony has the fewest cases nationwide following the federal capital.
The FLI data reveals that this illness has caused havoc across Germany, resembling a viral tidal wave in recent weeks: While the FLI recorded 13 affected animal farms nationwide in June, this number had already surpassed 1,200 in July. And by August 23 alone, more than 4,800 affected operations had been reported.
Explosive outbreak in NRW
In North Rhine-Westphalia, where the first case of Blue Tongue Illness in Germany was confirmed in October 2023, authorities are reporting an explosive outbreak. According to the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, 2,465 operations were affected there (as of Friday afternoon). The number of cases in Lower Saxony has also recently spiked dramatically to 1,423 animal farms.
On Thursday, the first potential case of the current variant of Blue Tongue Illness in Saxony was reported. According to the district administration, a cattle herd in the Upper Vogtland region is affected. Thankfully, the neighboring states of Saxony have been less impacted so far. In Saxony-Anhalt, infections have been reported in 33 operations or animal farms, and in Thuringia, 11 cases have been reported.
Virus not transferable to humans
Fortunately, the pathogen is not transferable to humans. Consumption of meat and dairy products for animals at risk for Blue Tongue Illness is completely safe.
The FLI attributes the epidemic to the so-called BTV-3 serotype of the pathogen. It is expected that the number of cases and affected operations will continue to rise throughout the year, according to the federal institute responsible for animal diseases. In fact, the FLI director elaborated, "BTV-3 will certainly keep us busy in the coming year as well." The same variant first appeared in the Netherlands in September 2023 and quickly spread.
The Blue Tongue virus is mainly transmitted by certain types of midges. Sheep, cattle, South American camel species, goats, and wild ruminants are mainly affected by this illness.
After the outbreak in North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony, the Blue Tongue Illness also reached neighboring regions. Fortunately, the impact in nearby states like Saxony has been relatively limited compared to other areas. Despite the first potential case reported in Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia, Dresden, the largest city in Saxony, has yet to be significantly affected by this illness.
