ProMED-mail |

Published Date: 2012-11-17 17:35:52
Subject: PRO/AH> Schmallenberg virus - Europe (71): Norway, UK, Netherlands
Archive Number: 20121117.1413952

SCHMALLENBERG VIRUS - EUROPE (71): NORWAY, UK, NETHERLANDS
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In this update:
[1] Norway
[2] UK
[3] Vaccine
[4] Netherlands

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[1] Norway
Date: Fri 16 Nov 2012
Source: Flutrackers [edited]
http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?p=474675&posted=1#post474675

Norway: antibodies to Schmallenberg virus detected in milk
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(machine-translated from the website of the Norwegian Food-Safety Authority at http://tinyurl.com/anh36hy, published 14 Nov 2012)

The Veterinary Institute found antibodies against Schmallenberg virus [SBV] in milk samples from cattle herds in eastern Norway. Detection of antibodies means that the animal has been infected by the virus at one time or another. SBV is not contagious to humans. It is not dangerous to drink milk or eat meat from SBV-infected animals.

On 25 Oct 2012, the National Veterinary Institute reported that SBV was detected in Norway for the 1st time. The virus was found in biting midges. When biting midges suck blood from infected animals they can transmit the virus to other animals they feed on. The virus can cause brief illness in cattle and sheep. Animals that are infected early in pregnancy may have stillborn or malformed offspring with severe deformities.

SBV is not considered a dangerous disease, but may have implications for those engaged in livestock. The Veterinary Institute and the FSA are now working to examine milk from throughout southern Norway to get a picture of the spread. Currently there are 532 milk samples examined, and of these 72 samples were positive. The Veterinary Institute believes the results from the remaining 1700 samples have been received will be ready within the next week. The FSA is now probing into some of the herds who delivered milk that contains antibodies against the virus.

A map is available at http://www.vetinst.no/Nyheter/Antistoffer-mot-Schmallenbergvirus-paavist-i-tankmelk-fra-besetninger-paa-OEstlandet.

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communicated by:
Gert van der Hoek
Senior Moderator FluTrackers.com

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[2] UK
Date: Fri 16 Nov 2012
Source: Farmers Weekly [edited]
http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/16/11/2012/136257/Mystery-surrounds-calf-and-lamb-losses.htm#.UKYVW_CurFk.twitter

Mystery surrounds calf and lamb losses
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Mystery surrounds pregnancy scanning results, which show potentially devastating numbers of calf and lamb losses on UK farms.

Livestock producers face early lambing losses as high as two thirds on some farms, suggest initial results. Many scanners are reporting barren ewes, failed pregnancies or dead fetuses. Cattle losses are almost as bad in some places.

There is a "strong suspicion" that the Schmallenberg virus [SBV] could be to blame, say some vets. But other causes, such as poor nutrition following a year of extreme wet weather, have been cited by other vets and animal health experts.

John Barnes, a scanner in the north east of England, told Farmers Weekly he had recorded problems in about two thirds of 10 000 ewes across 80 flocks. One farm later tested positive with the SBV, which can cause death and deformity in unborn livestock. Cattle scans revealed that up to 50 per cent of 4000 cows scanned were showing either empty or with dead calves.

Other operators have begun to report similar problems as scanning gets into full swing ahead of next spring's lambing season. In the West Midlands, scanner Phil Preece reported anomalies in about a third of 8000 early lambing ewes examined so far this year. Mr Preece said it was a "real one-off" and he had not experienced results like it in 14 years of scanning. Both men said they had spoken to other scanners who reported similar issues.

It is not known if these cases are linked to the SBV, but flocks at highest risk from the virus would have been those tupped in late summer or early autumn when midge activity was at its highest.

So far, 2 flocks in the south of England with embryonic losses have been reported to the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) with results revealing ewes had been exposed to the Schmallenberg virus.

David Harwood, veterinary investigative officer for the AHVLA, Hampshire, said there was a "strong suspicion" the virus and losses were linked, but said there was no scientific evidence to back it up.

Independent sheep vet Paul Roger was more cautious about the virus link. Poor nutrition or other infections could be the cause, he suggested. "The problem is just because it is happening this year people may say it is Schmallenberg, but that's not necessarily the case. There are other infections that can cause losses, such as toxoplasmosis, border disease and bluetongue."

He advised farmers to get individual diagnostics done to pinpoint the exact causes of the problem. "It is really important for the individual business and the country so we know where the disease is." Mr Roger said it was too early to predict the effect losses may have on lambing crops next year, but a promised SBV vaccine meant there was "hope on the horizon."

[byline: Rhian Price]

--
communicated by:
Gert van der Hoek
Senior Moderator FluTrackers.com

[The above report does not include information on malformed offspring in the scanned farms. Have such cases been observed? Their absence does not necessarily exclude SBV involvement: in case of SBV infection is restricted to animals during their earlier stages of pregnancy, embryonal death rather than malformations may occur. This may be manifested by the appearance of apparently "barren" ewes, which, in fact, lost their embryos. Further information, including results of tests in aborted foeti, is anticipated. - Mod.AS]

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[3] Vaccine
Date: Thu 8 Nov 2012
Source: Flutrackers [edited]
http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?p=473938#post473938

Schmallenberg vaccine "ready within weeks"
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A vaccine to protect livestock against the Schmallenberg virus [SBV] could be available within weeks, Farmers Weekly has learned. Studies on the vaccine, produced by MSD Animal Health, have shown it can protect pregnant calves, lambs and ewes.

Farmers Weekly understands the company has submitted an application for regulatory approval and licensing of the vaccine for commercial use. The government's body that licenses and registers vaccines, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD), is now reviewing the application.

An industry source said: "The VMD received an application from MSD for a SBV vaccine in September [2012]. A provisional licence potentially has a 60-day process to go through. This means a vaccine could be ready by mid-November.

[byline: Philip Case]

[Read more: Farmers Weekly at http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/08/11/2012/136126/Schmallenberg-vaccine-39ready-within-weeks39.htm]

--
communicated by:
Gert van der Hoek
Senior Moderator FluTrackers.com

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[4] Netherlands
Date: Fri 16 Nov 2012
From: Jet Mars [edited]

Schmallenberg virus (SBV) detected by PCR in lambs with congenital malformations, Deventer
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At the end of October 2012, 2 lambs with congenital malformations were submitted for postmortem examination to the Animal Health Service (AHS) (GD-Deventer) in the Netherlands.

In the Netherlands, between December 2011 and May 2012, calves and lambs with congenital malformations were born after an infection with SBV.

The macroscopic findings [in the 2 lambs received end October 2012] were comparable with the malformations that had been seen during the last lambing season [terminated May 2012] and an infection with SBV was suspected.

In both lambs with congenital malformations presence of SBV in the brains could be confirmed by SBV-PCR.

This is the 1st report of the birth of lambs with congenital malformations caused by SBV in an European country in 2 successive years.

A high seroprevalence, of about 80 per cent, was found in sheep in the Netherlands in 2012 by the AHS. Therefore we advised sheep farmers to mate seronegative sheep and ewe lambs later in the season than the seropositive sheep. In 2012, SBV circulation has been described in several European countries, and was therefore also expected in the Netherlands.

We thank the farmer and veterinarian for submitting the lambs to confirm the suspected infection with SBV.

[byline: Rene van den Brom, DVM; Piet Vellema, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ECSRHM; Jan Vos, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ECVP]

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communicated by:
Jet Mars, DVM, PhD
Dept of Diagnostic Research and Epidemiology
Animal Health Service GD Deventer PO Box 9, 7400 AA Deventer
<www.gddeventer.com>

[The Dutch authors are gratefully acknowledged for the above firsthand information.

It would be helpful to know if the 2 described malformed lambs are twins or singletons, and to be informed about the age of their ewe-mother(s).

Following the detection of SBV in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Poland, it would be interesting to note if surveillance is applied in the Baltic countries.

The 2012 vector season is expected to be terminated during the coming weeks, as temperatures continue their decline. - Mod.AS

A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/r/1FEs, http://healthmap.org/r/1lNY, http://healthmap.org/r/1r1l.]

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