Bluetongue in Europe; one breeder has already lost 860 animals

Published Sep 20, 2024

Tridge summary

Bluetongue disease is spreading across Western Europe, causing significant losses in sheep and cattle. The epidemic, which has reached the Czech Republic, is leaving farmers in financial trouble with no effective solutions from authorities. Unapproved emergency vaccines raise concerns about long-term effects on animals. The situation is worsened by the lack of compensation and inadequate veterinary services, leading farmers to demand better support. The disease, transmitted by mosquitoes, is causing severe financial strain and threatening the survival of many farms despite the disease being harmless to humans.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

Bluetongue disease is decimating flocks of sheep and cattle in Western Europe: the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, but the first cases have also been reported in the Czech Republic. Farmers are also growing angry, because their losses are endless, and the state authorities have proven completely ineffective in combating the epidemic and helping breeders. 860 dead sheep The scale of the problem is best illustrated by a report by the German station NDR, whose team visited Sven Scheffler's farm in Hude, in the Oldenburg district, in Lower Saxony, in northwestern Germany. The 36-year-old farmer took over the sheep farm from his parents 5 years ago. The bluetongue epidemic reached him a few weeks ago, when his flock numbered 4,000. So far, the farmer has taken over 860 adult sheep and lambs from his pastures for disposal. There was not a day that went by without him picking up dead animals from the ground. The young farmer estimates the losses at over 200,000 ...

Source: Farmer.pl