Bluetongue battle
Last updated 10:56, Friday, 30 May 2008
NORTHUMBERLAND county councillors have vowed to do what they can to protect local farms from an outbreak of bluetongue disease.
At a full council meeting last week, a motion was passed stressing the need for council officers to liaise with Defra and put a firm action plan in place.
The issue was raised by Coun. Dougie Watkin, who stressed that, although culls would only take place at the centre of an outbreak, restrictions could mean “numerous animals potentially trapped on farms in the area.”
His calls for action were supported by several other councillors, including Haydon and Hadrian Coun. Alan Sharp, who said bluetongue was a major concern among farmers.
A vaccine against the disease is being distributed county by county, but areas will only receive it when they are designated as surveillance zones.
It is likely that Tynedale’s farmers will be among the last to have access to it, and councillors were keen that a plan be put in place as soon as possible.
A council spokesman said: “Northumberland County Council’s emergency planning and animal health teams are in regular contact with Defra and receive the latest updates on diseases such as bluetongue.
“The welfare and livelihood of Northumberland livestock farmers is important and we liaise regularly with the regional animal health office to ensure that we are involved in and aware of any issues that could affect farms in our county.
“If an outbreak of bluetongue did occur in Northumberland decisions would be taken nationally by Defra on how to manage the outbreak and it would be the responsibility of the county council’s animal health team to enforce any restrictions imposed by Defra and provide advice according to national guidelines.
“The county council has plans in place so that we are ready to respond to these types of outbreaks, including our emergency community assistance plan and an animal health plan and our officers will be keeping in regular contact with elected members on the issue of bluetongue.”
The first suspected case of the disease in the UK was found in September last year in a Highland cow on a rare breeds farm near Ipswich, Suffolk. Since then the insect-borne virus has spread from cattle to sheep in Britain.
Its main symptoms are a high fever, excessive salivation, and swelling of the face and tongue.
