Ireland: DAFM urges vigilance as bluetongue spreads across Europe

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is urging livestock keepers in Ireland to be vigilant as bluetongue virus spreads to new regions of Europe and Britain. The department said that the situation in Europe is “dynamic” and as a result “there is a real risk of bluetongue virus entry into Ireland”. The disease affect ruminant animals such as sheep, cattle, goats and deer and camelids like llama and alpaca. Bluetongue Bluetongue virus is spread by infected biting midges which are present in Ireland and are generally most active during warmer months, between April and November. DAFM said that as November approaches and temperatures decrease, midge activity in Ireland will now be lower over the winter. However, the department noted that the risk of bluetongue transmission will increase in spring 2025 when temperatures increase, and midges become more active again. Sheep are more likely to show obvious and more severe clinical signs of bluetongue than cattle if they ...