Two cases of bluetongue have been confirmed in Sweden – the first in 15 years. This applies to a dairy cow in Bohuslän and a cattle in Halland, announce the Swedish Agricultural Agency and the Norwegian Veterinary Institute (SVA).
“The affected herd is now subject to movement restrictions for a short period as we investigate the extent of the outbreak,” says Kristina Mieziewska, infection control officer at the Swedish Agency for Agriculture, in a press release on Friday morning when infection was found in a cow in Uddevalla municipality.
A few hours later, SVA announces that another case has been confirmed, this time in a cattle in Halland.
SVA says that the cases did not come as a surprise as there have recently been cases in both Denmark and Norway. They also expect more cases in Sweden, but point out that it usually affects single animals.
Bluetongue cannot infect humans. The viral disease affects ruminants such as cattle, sheep and goats. The virus is not transmitted between animals but via an insect. The symptoms can be mild but can also lead to serious illness and death.
Today, there is no requirement for animals to be vaccinated in Europe, unlike during the large outbreak in 2008. Nowadays, it is voluntary for the EU countries to fight the disease.
Based on the current situation, the disease will not be fought nationally in Sweden.
“The bluetongue is not transmitted between animals but via tick bites. This makes it difficult to protect your animals, but it has been seen that installing the animals can reduce tick attacks and thus prevent the spread of infection and disease,” says Erika Chenais, state veterinarian at SVA, in a press release.