Bluetongue and African horse sickness experts at the Royal Show

Institute for Animal Health bluetongue experts will be available to talk with every day at the Royal Show (7-10 July, Stoneleigh, Warwickshire), in the Global Science and Business Centre (Avenue K, between 4th and 6th Street). You should be able to spot us easily; we shall have a giant model midge hanging nearby within the GSBC. The midges that spread bluetongue virus are also able to spread related viruses, including African horse sickness virus.

In addition there will be a daily seminar at 13.00 in the small meetings room within the GSBC. With the help of a PowerPoint presentation we shall describe how we got to where we are with this disease in Britain and elsewhere in
northern Europe, and what we can do to control it.

Bluetongue virus first came to northern Europe in 2006. Infected midges from the Continent spread it to Britain in 2007, where we had somewhat over 100 identified cases in cattle and sheep. In 2008 France had over 24,000 cases of
disease but in the UK we had none. We believe that extensive vaccination by farmers, especially in the east and south of England, in 2008 prevented the development of the disease here.

The bluetongue virus that came to Continental Europe in 2006, and to us in 2007, was serotype 8. It was serotype 8 vaccine that we applied last year in the UK. A vaccine only gives protection against bluetongue virus of the same serotype. Last year serotype 1 spread through France, from Spain, reaching Brittany. In addition, serotypes 6 and 11 were also detected on the near continent. It remains to be seen to what extent these four serotypes spread on the Continent this year, and which get to Britain.

You are very welcome to drop in to speak with us at the GSBC, whether about bluetongue, African horse sickness or other viruses. If you wish to contact me during the Show, I shall be in the GSBC much of the time (and also at our booth in the Education Village, where we are using microscopes to let children and others see the midges that spread bluetongue virus, and ticks that spread African swine fever virus).  You can always get me on my mobile.

My mobile number is 07789 941568
Professor Dave Cavanagh