Bluetongue disease spreads among sheep and cows in Europe

Bluetongue is a non-infectious viral disease transmitted by insects. The virus attacks ruminants such as sheep and cows. Belgian Agriculture Minister David Clarinval announced on Thursday that cow and sheep farming would be recognized as sectors in crisis. Bluetongue has affected more than 500 farms in the country. The declaration of a crisis is intended to facilitate the introduction of facilities for farmers. The first case of infection with the virus was recorded in September 2023 in the Netherlands. Meanwhile, on Monday, the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority reported that 2,909 farms have already been infected. Citing Dutch media, the AFP agency noted that this number is 650 higher than a week ago. In Germany, the Friedrich Loeffler Institute for Animal Diseases recorded 1,885 outbreaks of the disease on August 8, while only 23 farms in the country were infected in the whole of 2023. In November 2023, the first outbreak of the disease was noted in ...