- Progress in the development of vaccines for bluetongue is evident.
Progress on Blue Tongue animal disease vaccinations in Saxony-Anhalt is sluggish. Over half of the state's sheep have now received the vaccine, stated Andreas Tyrpe, head of the agriculture department at the state's ministry, during a committee meeting in the state parliament's agricultural sector. "This is a satisfactory vaccination rate." However, the situation with cattle isn't as promising. Only about 18.33% of Saxony-Anhalt's total cattle population of 275,000 have been vaccinated.
Since July, Blue Tongue disease has been spreading rapidly across Germany. By August's end, the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute had documented cases in over 30 farms in Saxony-Anhalt alone. At the start of the month, the BTV-3 variant was identified on a cattle farm near Wernigerode and in two sheep herds in the Altmark.
Blue Tongue predominantly affects sheep and cattle, but other ruminants can also contract the virus. The virus isn't transmitted directly from one animal to another, but indirectly through tiny, blood-sucking midges. Experts suggest farmers use insect repellents to shield sheep and cattle from bug bites. In affected regions and their surroundings, experts advocate vaccinating animals against the virus. The disease course can differ. Sheep often exhibit symptoms like lameness, fever, and unease. The infection can be lethal. Cattle usually show less severe symptoms.
The European Parliament can offer its assistance to the Commission in tackling Blue Tongue disease, given its spread across Germany. Despite the satisfactory vaccination rate in sheep, only a small proportion of Saxony-Anhalt's cattle have been vaccinated against Blue Tongue, as mentioned by Andreas Tyrpe.
