Measures already in place for ‘Bluetongue’ virus

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s biosecurity arm, MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (MAFBNZ) says New Zealand already has measures in place to protect against the introduction of bluetongue, but is nevertheless keeping an eye on the situation in the UK where bluetongue has been detected in a cow.

Bluetongue virus affects ruminants (sheep, goats, cattle) and can cause severe epidemics in sheep. The infection seldom causes disease in other susceptible ruminants, but infected cattle are a carrier of infection for other species. It is named for the characteristic swollen blue tongue that appears in the animal around death.

MAFBNZ’s Manager International Coordination Derek Belton says the virus is already widespread in many parts of the world, including Australia where it was detected in the early 1980s. There has never been a case in New Zealand.

“In order for bluetongue to be transmitted it requires both the presence of infected animals and specific species of midge that transmit the virus from beast to beast. The midges which are a vital part of the disease life cycle are not present in New Zealand,” says Dr Belton.

The only way blue tongue could establish in New Zealand is through the simultaneous importation of infected live animals or germplasm (semen or embryos) and one of the species of midge essential for the virus to complete its life cycle.

“We import germplasm and a very small number of live sheep and cattle under extremely strict quarantine conditions which include multiple specific barriers to exclude bluetongue virus,” Dr Belton says. “We have not imported live sheep or cattle from the UK for well over ten years.”

MAFBNZ runs a targeted active surveillance programme for bluetongue, looking for both the midge and antibodies to the virus in cattle. Neither has been detected.

“I am confident this new find in the UK poses no additional risk of bluetongue entry to New Zealand,” Dr Belton says.