Blue disease in North Rhine -Westphalia: increase in cases and vaccination calls to farmers

Blue disease in North Rhine -Westphalia: increase in cases and vaccination calls to farmers

In North Rhine-Westphalia, the Situation regarding blue-tongue disease is still serious. In numerous companies, cases have occurred that mainly affect cattle and sheep stocks. A total of around 1,400 beeficing and around 1,350 sheep farms are affected. The virus infection also rampants in around 70 goats and a variety of other animal husbandry, the alpacas, camelids, muffle game and fallow deer, as a spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture announced.

The transmission of the blue-tongue virus (BTV) is done by mosquitoes that are favored by the wet and warm weather in the past few weeks. This has led to an increase in symptoms in affected animals. Sheep in particular show signs such as lameness, fever, reduced general condition and the formation of edema in the area of the head. In the worst case, the disease can even be fatal. The name "Blue -Tongue Disease" stems from the fact that the tongues of some sick animals dye blue. However, people are not affected by this disease.

Current developments in infection

Although the situation has apparently stabilized in the past few weeks, the infection remains dynamic. The Ministry in Düsseldorf confirmed that a preliminary climax in the reported infections was recorded in the week from August 5th to 9th. Since then, however, the numbers have been in the downward trend. Nevertheless, it is warned that further outbreaks can still be expected. This development is particularly worrying, since Germany was officially considered free of blue -tongue disease until autumn 2023. The first report of an outbreak came from the district of Kleve in October 2023 after cases have already been known in the Netherlands.

The Ukraine War has changed the situation worldwide, but in North Rhine-Westphalia, fighting the blue-fuel disease remains an urgent task. Minister Silke Gorißen (CDU) emphasizes the importance of vaccinations. "The most effective prevention against infections with blue -tung disease is a consistent vaccination of all recommended animals," she explains. These measures are not only crucial for the current situation, but are also of great importance as preparation for the coming year.

vaccinations as a preventive measure

A lot of animals have already been vaccinated in North Rhine-Westphalia. According to the ministry, around 240,000 cattle, 96,000 sheep and 2,700 goats have received a vaccination by September 6th. The NRW-Anlaseuchenkasse financially supports the pet owners in the vaccinations, which is intended to increase the willingness to participate in these measures. In view of the impending danger, it is crucial that the keeper will take care of the delivery of approved vaccines for the next spring at an early stage in order to prevent the spread of the disease as possible.

The further surveillance and quick action in both prevention and treatment are essential to protect the animal population in the affected region and to secure the health of the animals. The situation requires close cooperation between veterinary authorities, animal owners and the Ministry of Agriculture to recognize and combat future outbreaks at an early stage.