Netherlands: New bluetongue variant spreads further than expected

The new bluetongue virus serotype 12 (BTV-12) has been detected on eight farms in four different provinces. This concerns a total of three sheep and eight cattle, according to Minister of Agriculture Femke Wiersma in a letter to the House of Representatives. Eight of the samples come from locations in the Harmelen-’s Graveland area, one comes from a cow in Flevoland, one from a cow in Landsmeer and one from a cow in the Gelderland municipality of Bronckhorst. Because the new bluetongue variant is now present in several places, the minister has lifted the blockade of the first two farms. There are also no transport restrictions. Research into whether existing vaccines are effective The minister has instructed Royal GD and the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) to map the symptoms of the new variant and to gain insight into the spread of BTV-12. The minister has shared information about the genetic composition of the new virus with vaccine manufacturers, ...