Omroep Flevoland – News – First case of bluetongue in Flevoland: sheep dies

The first infection with bluetongue virus in the province was detected in a sheep from the Stad & Natuur herd grazing Vroege Vogelbos in Almere. The sheep did not survive the infection. The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) has officially found the bluetongue virus to be the culprit. This disease does not require the animals to be culled, as is the case with foot-and-mouth disease, for example, but animals can become seriously ill and die.

For the first time since 2009, there is an outbreak of bluetongue virus in the Netherlands, especially in North Holland and Utrecht. Infection occurs due to the bite of a mosquito infected with the virus. A total of 49 reports of animals with bluetongue have been submitted in the Netherlands.

Sheep from the Stad & Natuur flock are the first infections in Flevoland since the outbreak about two weeks ago. “Animal caretakers walk through the herd every day and notice that the animal has symptoms, such as weak legs and drooling,” says employee Margarita Rangers. He added: “The sheep was treated by a veterinarian, but unfortunately it died.” According to the NVWA, the disease is not usually fatal, but can be caused by additional factors such as malnutrition.

Bluetongue virus occurs mainly in sheep and cattle, but also in other ruminants such as goats and deer. This can cause affected animals to develop fever, lethargy, and inflammation in the mouth and legs. Blue-tongued animals must be reported to the NVWA, but there is no obligation to control them. The virus is not transmissible and is not contagious to humans. The NVWA is investigating whether the available vaccination is suitable for the variant now identified.