The “bluetongue” virus continues to spread in Italy. The alarm is especially high in Sardinia, but the epidemic is threatening livestock farms in several regions. Cases and outbreaks have also been reported in Piedmont, Lombardy, Liguria, Calabria and Sicily: hundreds of infected animals have been registered and bans on the movement of sheep and cattle have been put in place to combat the spread of outbreaks. Bluetongue, also known as bluetongue, is a serious infectious disease that affects domestic and wild ruminants, including sheep, goats and cattle. It is caused by the “blue tongue” virus (BTV), transmitted by the bite of insects of the genus “Culicoides” (midges measuring a few millimetres).
Bluetongue: contagions and symptoms of the disease
Bluetongue causes serious infections in ruminants, especially sheep, which are the animals in which the disease manifests itself with the most serious symptoms, including high fever, oral ulcers and hemorrhages, cyanosis of the tongue (blue tongue), breathing difficulties and muscle necrosis that can lead to the death of the animal. It also affects cows and other ruminants, such as deer, antelopes, camels and elephants. It does not pose a risk to human health: it is not considered a zoonotic disease, that is, a disease that is transmitted between animals and humans. Therefore, it is not contagious to humans nor is it transmitted in meat and milk.
There are currently no antiviral drugs available against bluetongue, nor are there specific therapeutic protocols for animals affected by this infection. Therapy is based on symptom management, to reduce inflammation and pain, which can allow the sheep to recover. Infected animals must be isolated and kept in stables. Prevention is based on animal surveillance and monitoring of “vectors”, against which specific insecticides for the control of Culicoides midges, as well as phytochemicals, can be used.
Almost 700 outbreaks in Sardinia
The situation is especially complicated in Sardinia: in a few days the outbreaks on the island have almost doubled, going from 360 to 666. This is highlighted in the latest report published by the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute. Most of the farms involved are in the province of Nuoro with 176, followed closely by that of Oristano with 173 outbreaks. In this last case, the territorial ASL reports 3600 infected heads and 215 dead animals.
“Even though the mortality rate is much lower than last year – explained Enrico Vacca, director of the animal health service of the ASL 5 -, today we are declaring the entire provincial territory a circulation zone for the bluetongue virus serotype 3 (BTV3) and the rules on controlling the movement of livestock will be applied in the same territory to try to reduce the spread of the disease in flocks not yet infected by this serotype”.
“From today, therefore, from all of Oristano, the movements of animals of the ovine, caprine and bovine species, from birth, towards areas not affected by viral circulation must be agreed with the veterinary services of departure and destination with pre-notification or authorization of at least 48 hours and the same movements are subject to compliance with some risk reduction measures, such as treatment with insect repellent and subsequent PCR test”, added Vacca. And again: “The movements of animals of the same species mentioned above only from slaughterhouse within the national territory can be permitted without restrictions, provided that the animals do not show clinical signs on the day of transport, are slaughtered within 24 hours of arrival at the destination slaughterhouse and that the means of transport are treated with insecticide”.
The alert remains high also in other areas of Sardinia, where the numbers are currently more contained: in Sassari there has been only one outbreak, in Gallura 57, in Ogliastra 31, in Medio Campidano 45, in Sulcis 106 and in the metropolitan city of Cagliari 77.