Sweden detects two bluetongue outbreaks for the first time in 15 years

A strain of bluetongue virus BTV3 has been detected in southern Sweden. A positive result was found in a cow at a dairy farm in the town of Uddevalla. There are 59 animals there. The virus was also detected in a cow at a farm in Laholm with a total of 123 heads of cattle. This is the first outbreak of bluetongue in Sweden since 2009, according to the World Animal Health Information System (WAHIS). The BTV3 strain has been circulating in the Netherlands, northern Belgium and western Germany since the end of last year. In early August, this variant of the virus entered France. The virus has also been detected in the UK and ...