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Published Date: 2006-11-10 00:00:00
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Bluetongue - Europe (18): Portugal, Italy (Sardinia), EU
Archive Number: 20061110.3227

BLUETONGUE - EUROPE (18): PORTUGAL, ITALY (SARDINIA), EU
*********************************************************
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[1] Northwest Europe, Portugal
Date: Thu, 9 Nov 2006
From: Pablo Nart <pablo.nart@terra.es>
Source: People's Daily Online [edited]
<http://english.people.com.cn/200611/09/eng20061109_320036.html>

Veterinary experts of the European Union (EU) have endorsed a
European Commission decision to extend bluetongue restriction zones
in various countries, due to further outbreaks of the disease, said
the commission on Thursday [9 Nov 2006].
The latest outbreaks have occurred in North-Rhine Westphalia and
Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany, and in Denekamp in the Netherlands
close to the border with Germany, said the commission, the executive
body of the EU.
The restriction zones will now cover more areas in Baden-Wurttemberg,
Bayern and Niedersachsen, it said.
The insect-borne virus has continued to spread in Northern Europe,
with over 1600 outbreaks confirmed since the first case was reported
in the Netherlands in mid-August.
In addition, the commission was informed on Monday that an exotic
strain of the bluetongue virus (stereotype 1), different to those
which have affected any part of Europe to date, has now been found in
southern Sardinia, Italy.
It is thought to have come from northern Africa, transported by the
insect vectors, said the commission.
Therefore, the experts backed the establishment of new restriction
zone in Sardinia. A 20 square km protection zone around the outbreak
area is being set up, in which a movement ban will apply to all
ruminants, other than those approved for transport to direct
slaughter or to another holding within the restriction zone.
Portugal also reported a new outbreak of bluetongue in early
November, although of the type that has occurred in southern Europe
for years [BTV-4?].
The restriction zone, which is already in place, will now be extended
to cover further areas in the region of Ribatejo e Oeste. The current
zone covers the entire regions of Algarve, Alentejo, and parts of
Ribatejo e Oeste and Beira Interior. [An administrative map of
Portugal is at <http://www.world-gazetteer.com/maps/m_177.png>].
--
Pablo Nart
<pablo.nart@terra.es>
[Portugal suffered her last outbreaks of BTV-4 on her southeastern
districts, bordering Spain, during November-December 2004. The last
follow-up report (No 5) was sent to the OIE on 14 Jan 2005 (see at
<ftp://ftp.oie.int/infos_san_archives/eng/2005/en_050114v18n02.pdf>).
Useful information on (worldwide) bluetongue outbreaks since 2003 may
be found in the table "Recent outbreaks of orbivirus diseases",
available at the web-site of the BT reference IAH laboratory,
Pirbright, UK; see
<http://www.iah.bbsrc.ac.uk/dsRNA_virus_proteins/outbreaks.htm>.
Details on the new outbreak(s) in Portugal are anticipated, including
species, age groups, clinical signs, vaccination status, and --
particularly -- the results of laboratory investigations to confirm
the BTV serotype involved. - Mod.AS]
******
[2] Sardinia
Date: Thu, 9 Nov 2006
From: Pablo Nart <pablo.nart@terra.es>
Source: Reuters (Italian) [translated and abridged by sender, edited]
<http://today.reuters.it/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-11-09T165929Z_01_CIA938578_RTRIDST_0_OITTP-LINGUA-BLU-SARDEGNA.XML>

The following information on the Sardinian outbreak, dated 9 Nov
2006, is additional to information already posted by ProMED-mail. It
has been translated and abridged from a newswire at the above URL,
titled "Lingua blu, in Sardegna un ceppo inedito del virus del
bestiame":
In Sardinia, there have been so far 98 Bluetongue outbreaks and more
than 800 mortalities, local sources reported to Reuters. A 20 Km
security zone around infected premises has been implemented.
--
Pablo Nart
<pablo.nart@terra.es>
*******
[3]
Date: Fri, 10 Nov 2006
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: EU, DG Health & Consumer Protection web-site [edited]
<http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/diseases/adns/table_11_2006/adns_101106_en.pdf>

EU Animal disease notification system (ADNS)
--------------------------------------------
According to the most current weekly update of table 11 (animal
disease situation per country and per disease; distributed 10 Nov
2006), the total number of confirmed bluetongue outbreaks, reported
by European Union member states during the period 1 Jan 2006 to 10
Nov 2006, was 1682 (207 added during the recent week; last week's
total was 1475).
The following summarised confirmed 2006 outbreaks are retrieved from
the current and the 4 previous weekly ADNS reports:
Country/ 10 Nov/ 3 Nov / 27 Oct / 20 Oct / 13 Oct / last confirmation date
1. Belgium / 590 / 490 /460 /403/ 297 / 30 Oct 2006
2. Germany / 630 / 592 / 472 / 365 / 208 / 2 Nov 2006
3. France / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 4 / 13 Oct 2006
4. Netherlands / 409 / 359 / 317 / 263 / 206 / 2 Nov 2006
5. Bulgaria / 13 / 8 / 8 / 8 / 0 / 11 Oct 2006
6. Italy / 35 / 21 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 Nov 2006
--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Three or 4 separate BTV outbreaks seem to be currently ongoing in
Europe: a northwestern one, caused by BTV-8, affecting cattle and
sheep; a mid-southern one (Sardinia), caused by BTV-1, affecting
sheep; and probably 2 other cycles, one in the southeast (Bulgaria),
and one in the southwest (Portugal), of which the serotype(s) are not
yet identified or reported.
The following data are related to the evolution of the major
epizootic in northwest Europe -- which started in August (or
earlier?) -- during the last 5 weeks.
Country: new outbreaks in week ending 13 Oct/20 Oct/27 Oct/3 Nov/10 Nov
Belgium: 96/106/57/30/100
Netherlands: 60/57/54/42/50
Germany: 58/157/107/120/38
As apparent from the above table, a significant upsurge of reported
confirmed BTV-8 cases has been seen during this week in Belgium and,
to a lesser degree, in the Netherlands while a decline was seen in
Germany. It remains to be seen if these fluctuations reflect true
epidemiological dynamics or rather registration/reporting-related
phenomena. Clearly, the epizootic is not yet over, in spite of
declining temperatures; this is graphically illustrated in the
updated (8 Nov 2006) map available at
<http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/pdf/bt-europemap.pdf>.
The new epizootic in Italy (southern Sardinia), caused by BTV-1, is spreading.
The added 5 positive outbreaks in Bulgaria (where?), need to be
explained; during the previous week, 8 foci of disease were reported.
The report was allegedly based upon positive serology in sentinel
goats adjacent to the Turkish frontier. Is the disease active and
spreading? Which serotype is involved?
According to the media and an official EU press release, cases of
bluetongue have also recently been reported from Portugal (archived
20061106.3191). The questions which were addressed to Bulgaria
should be addressed to Portugal as well. - Mod.AS]
[see also:
Bluetongue, ovine - Italy (Sardinia)(02): serotype 1 20061105.3176
Bluetongue - Europe (17): update 20061106.3191
Bluetongue - Europe (16): update 20061028.3085
Bluetongue - Europe (15): Bulgaria, confirmed 20061026.3060
Bluetongue - Europe (14): new vector 20061024.3042
Bluetongue - Europe (12) 20061022.3033
Bluetongue - Northern Europe: France 20060831.2478
Bluetongue - Netherlands, Belgium, Germany (07): control 20060829.2454
Bluetongue - Netherlands, Belgium, Germany (06): BTV-8 20060828.2448
Bluetongue - Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, OIE 20060821.2353
Bluetongue, bovine, ovine - Belgium, Netherlands 20060820.2341
Bluetongue, bovine, ovine - Belgium 20060819.2316
Bluetongue, ovine - Netherlands: confirmed 20060818.2311
Bluetongue, ovine - Morocco 20061031.3118
Bluetongue, ovine, bovine - Algeria (M'sila) 20060911.2574
2002
----
Bluetongue, ruminants - Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria 20020906.5244
2001
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Bluetongue,upsurge - Mediterranean basin 20011122.2864]
..................arn/pg/lm

See Also