Is Bluetongue Virus a risk for Ireland?

The Beef Edge

Dr. Eoin Ryan, Senior Superintending Veterinary Inspector with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, gives an update on the Bluetongue Virus on this week’s Beef Edge podcast.

Since the end of August, over a hundred cases of Bluetongue have been detected in England and Wales and farmers in Ireland are hearing more and more about it.

Bluetongue is a viral disease affecting cattle, sheep, goats, alpacas and other ruminants and camelids. Bluetongue does not pose a food safety or public health risk. It is spread between animals by biting midges. There are many different serotypes. Bluetongue virus 3 (BTV-3) is currently the most serious threat.

It has been spreading rapidly across north-western Europe since last autumn. The high-risk period in Ireland runs from spring until late autumn when midges are most abundant.

Clinical signs include:

- Fever

- Inappetence (loss or lack of appetite)

- Drop in milk yield

- Reddening of the mucus membranes

- Sores on the nose, gum and dental pads

- Swelling of the face, lips and tongue (i.e. ‘bluetongue’)

- Breathing difficulties if the tongue swells

- Drooling

- Discharge from the eyes and/or nose

- Lameness

- Abortion or deformities in offspring/foetus

In severe cases, death can result.

Eoin advises farmers to be vigilant and to report any suspected cases to the local regional vet lab in order to prevent spread of the virus.

There are huge steps being taken to prevent it and Eoin advises farmers against importing embryos or semen to decrease the risk.

More information on Bluetongue can be found on the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s website at:

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/cd6c0-bluetongue-virus/

For more episodes from the Beef Edge podcast, visit the show page at:
https://www.teagasc.ie/thebeefedge

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