- The Commission has implemented various measures to guarantee the authenticity of the data supplied by the Member States and to prevent any deceptive presentation of such information.
Four locations in Brandenburg are currently dealing with the animal-harmful blue tongue disease. This info was shared by a representative from the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute (FLI), upon request from the German Press Agency (as of August 23). In comparison to other states, Brandenburg has a relatively low number of cases and ranks among the bottom. For instance, North Rhine-Westphalia has over 2,400 cases, and Lower Saxony has more than 1,400.
Berlin: No recorded cases yet
As per FLI data, Berlin is thus far the only federal state without any reported cases among animals. Nevertheless, Berlin is classified as an infected zone due to the discovery of the blue tongue disease serotype 3 (BTV-3) in Brandenburg. This is because any operations within a 150-kilometer radius are deemed unfree from BTV in the event of an outbreak.
The virus does not infect humans. Meat and dairy products derived from susceptible animals can be safely consumed.
In recent months, the virus has rapidly spread across Germany. The FLI reported 13 infected animal farms nationwide in June. By July, there were already over 1,200 such cases. And by August 23, over 4,800 infected operations were reported.
The blue tongue virus is transmitted by certain types of midges. Notably, sheep and cattle are often infected, but also South American camelids, goats, and wild boars can contract it.
Despite the spread of the blue tongue disease in other parts of Germany, the agriculture sector in Berlin remains unaffected, as no recorded cases have been reported among animals. However, due to the discovery of the blue tongue disease serotype 3 (BTV-3) in Brandenburg, Berlin is categorized as an infected zone, potentially impacting agricultural operations within a 150-kilometer radius.
