Bluetongue
Advice on Bluetongue
Recent tests by DEFRA (Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs) on animals at a number of farms in the south east have shown positive for the disease Bluetongue.
These cases are the first of the disease in the country although it has been widely detected in animals in northern Europe since 2006.
What is Bluetongue?
Bluetongue is an animal disease spread by two types of midges.
It does not affect humans and does not affect the food chain.
Unlike other animal diseases like foot and mouth, because it is spread by midge bites it is not spread directly from animal to animal across a herd.
It is a disease of ruminants, including sheep, cattle, deer, camelids (eg llamas) and goats.
Further information on Bluetongue, including the Declaration and definitive map, can be found on the DEFRA website:
What does this mean for livestock owners in the London Borough of Barnet?
The London Borough of Barnet is in the Bluetongue Protection Zone.
The London Borough of Barnet enforces the Bluetongue restrictions through its Environmental Health Service, which contracts the City of London Corporation’s Animal Health and Welfare Services team to carry out Animal Health functions on their behalf. The City of London Corporation’s Animal Health Team can be contacted on 0208 897 6741 or via e mail veterinary.harc@cityoflondon.gov.uk
Animal movements
- There are no restrictions on the movement of pigs as they are not susceptible to Bluetongue
- You can move ruminants anywhere within the Bluetongue Protection Zone (PZ) that is outside the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) Restricted Zone.
- You can move ruminants for slaughter to specifically licenced abattoirs outside the PZ.
- You can move ruminants into the Bluetongue Control Zone (CZ) that is outside the FMD Restricted Zone, however, you must comply with the movement restrictions within the CZ.
- You can move ruminants into the Bluetongue PZ from the area outside the FMD Restricted Zone.
- You cannot move animals from the Bluetongue Protection Zone except to the Bluetongue Control Zone, or to slaughter, as outlined above.
Email this pageLast modified by: Webmaster on 29/11/2007