simonp Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 Just heard on Radio2 this morning. Apparently it affects Deer, Sheep and Cattle. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7008925.stm The vaccine is still a year away ! Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmerguy.22 Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 Saw a bit about this on countryfile, last week i think it was!! Not nice at all! Luckily we dont have any sheep or cattle on our farm but we have a lot of friends that do, Not good news. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tulkyuk Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 i think it's going to be a bad year all round this year and the bloody floods early on in the summer are to blame me thinks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suffolk shooter Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 First I've heard of this How contagious is it. Is it the same as F&M and are we going to have exclusions zones??? SS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlight32 Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 Here we go again in suffolk- right during the shooting season. The Berhard matthews charade messed up the end of last year. I bet what you like Defra will be putting a ban on shooting soon if this continues. Mind I don't see what the hell bit of difference it makes to the outbreak by stopping shooting though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suffolk shooter Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 Surely if it carries on, we just change quarry species. What load do you use for CAttle/Sheep/pig/Turkey/horse and how do you get the ******* to fly. Seriously though what the **** is it. I seem to recall watching an old episode of Heartbeat and the sheep had blue tongue. DO they have to be culled or is it treatable?? SS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kip270 Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 Not looking good this year at all, take a look here http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/latest/2007/animal-0922.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandersj89 Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 Surely if it carries on, we just change quarry species. What load do you use for CAttle/Sheep/pig/Turkey/horse and how do you get the ******* to fly. Seriously though what the **** is it. I seem to recall watching an old episode of Heartbeat and the sheep had blue tongue. DO they have to be culled or is it treatable?? SS No treatment, but more fatal to stock than F&M. Sheep seem to be more easily effected. It is not contagious to Humans Spread via midges/mosquitoes. Originated in Southern Africa but been heading north for a long time, it has reeked havoc in Belgium, Holland, Germany in the last 18 months. It was hoped the channel/North sea would act as a barrier. If it is found in the UK, as it seems it is, the control will be via slaughter of animals and use of insecticides to reduce the number of vectors. Spread can be rapid as the midges can travel up to 100miles per day given the right weather conditions. Let's hope this is a one off. Jerry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suffolk shooter Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 Having read the DEFRA report it seems that it is not contagious or transmitted by humans, cars, boots, mud etc so I can't see it causing huge problems shooting wise this season. However yet another thing to ruin the farmers year. SS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wookie Posted September 24, 2007 Report Share Posted September 24, 2007 What a nightmare. I really feel sorry for farmers with this and it's not like they've had much of a respite from F&M. Let's hope that this dies out quickly enough and was an isolated incident. Strange how it is always a "rare breeds" farm that seems to get hit first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highlander Posted September 24, 2007 Report Share Posted September 24, 2007 Bluetongue disease is only transmitted by a vector such as mosquitos BUT in their wisdom the powers that be have put an exclusion zone around the farm where it was found...as if mossies can read the signs (probably written in 10 languages too!) and stay in or away from the infected area! As usual a total **** up! Apparently a useful vaccine is a year away from being developed and yet this disease has been heading our way, originally from southern Africa and more lately from northern Europe for some considerable time. So how long does it take for those in power to react and combat these threats to our environment and our lives! Ostrich syndrome is a disease that is endemic among our leaders and it’s time we got shot of them! All this on top of some government lab being responsible for FMD and all the problems that’s causing. Who is going to be held responsible...as usual no one, we just have to take the hit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandersj89 Posted September 24, 2007 Report Share Posted September 24, 2007 Bluetongue disease is only transmitted by a vector such as mosquitos BUT in their wisdom the powers that be have put an exclusion zone around the farm where it was found...as if mossies can read the signs (probably written in 10 languages too!) and stay in or away from the infected area! As usual a total **** up! Apparently a useful vaccine is a year away from being developed and yet this disease has been heading our way, originally from southern Africa and more lately from northern Europe for some considerable time. So how long does it take for those in power to react and combat these threats to our environment and our lives! Ostrich syndrome is a disease that is endemic among our leaders and it’s time we got shot of them! All this on top of some government lab being responsible for FMD and all the problems that’s causing. Who is going to be held responsible...as usual no one, we just have to take the hit. As you say the real pain about this one is the vector for transmitting it being so mobile and hard to control. Wholesale use of insecticides might help but at what cost and success rate??? At least it is not transferred from animal to animal by any other means unlike F&M. A vaccine is on it's way, though not this year, for this new strain. And this is a new strain to the one that moved out of Africa. Infections such as this mutate very quickly. It is also believed that this strain is more virulent amoungst the cattle population where as previous strains had a bigger impact on sheep. To help control things we need a drop in temps, a frost will be ideal but it is not 100% necessary, if the average ambient temp drops below 12 degree celsius the virus stops replicating inside the insect hosts. This will slow things down and then over winter the midge population dives with the hope by the time spring arrives a vacine might be on the cards. Lots of ifs and buts but this is normal in a field such as this. Defra knew it was heading our way but there is not a lot they could do to stop it. The impact the disease has had in the low countries was far more than anyone expected. This is probably explained by the rapid mutation of the virus and the fact northern european livestock have no built in resistance to the virus like of those further to the south. Hard to point the finger of blame at anyone just yet, time will tell though if it can stay contained. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pavman Posted September 24, 2007 Report Share Posted September 24, 2007 I for one am both sympathetic to the poor old farmer but also fed up with situations being blown up by the media who in some quarters may have reason to represent or enforce their own views (anti element) The only threat to us is foot and mouth, they live with blue tongue in the rest of Europe all the time, just like they have poisonous snakes in Africa you expect a problem and deal with it in a competent and justifiable manner, unlike the UK when anything will be seen as a major threat and end to our lifestyle as we know it , so lets get a grip and stop the panic Pavman the voice of reason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suffolk shooter Posted September 24, 2007 Report Share Posted September 24, 2007 I for one am both sympathetic to the poor old farmer but also fed up with situations being blown up by the media who in some quarters may have reason to represent or enforce their own views (anti element) The only threat to us is foot and mouth, they live with blue tongue in the rest of Europe all the time, just like they have poisonous snakes in Africa you expect a problem and deal with it in a competent and justifiable manner, unlike the UK when anything will be seen as a major threat and end to our lifestyle as we know it , so lets get a grip and stop the panic Pavman the voice of reason Its media hype on the back of F&M. This particular farm is 6 miles from me and my daughter won free tickets for the family to go round it. I was hoping to do so in the next month. I have been before, but hey ho will have to wait until it all dies down. SS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highlander Posted September 24, 2007 Report Share Posted September 24, 2007 For years pigeons have been seen as the #1 agricultural pest and we (PW members) can be proud that we’re part of the effort to control such beasties. Unfortunately there’s a new pest that’s even harder to eradicate and posses an even greater threat to British agriculture and life in the countryside...the ***** that govern us from their concrete covered world in Westminster! 20Km zones and 150km zones around farms infected with Bluetongue??? And that’s gonna stop mossies from flying to and fro! They knew it was coming, they knew the only way to deal with it is to vaccinate and what did they do...hope we’d have a cold (for that read freezing) winter. Yeh right. This government spends more than any other on it's bureaucracy and still we're in the s****. If GB does call an early election then lets make sure he gets kicked into touch so fast his **** will be the last thing to go through his mind. Will the others do any better? Probably not but at least we'd get some new ***** to rant at! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pavman Posted September 24, 2007 Report Share Posted September 24, 2007 For years pigeons have been seen as the #1 agricultural pest and we (PW members) can be proud that we’re part of the effort to control such beasties. Unfortunately there’s a new pest that’s even harder to eradicate and posses an even greater threat to British agriculture and life in the countryside...the ***** that govern us from their concrete covered world in Westminster!20Km zones and 150km zones around farms infected with Bluetongue??? And that’s gonna stop mossies from flying to and fro! They knew it was coming, they knew the only way to deal with it is to vaccinate and what did they do...hope we’d have a cold (for that read freezing) winter. Yeh right. This government spends more than any other on it's bureaucracy and still we're in the s****. If GB does call an early election then lets make sure he gets kicked into touch so fast his **** will be the last thing to go through his mind. Will the others do any better? Probably not but at least we'd get some new ***** to rant at! and just who will we vote in his place! not that twit Cameron thats for sure about as much spine as a jelly fish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted September 24, 2007 Report Share Posted September 24, 2007 We have just had a Confirmed blue tung in East Sussex Tunbridge wells/frant area Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trakker01 Posted September 24, 2007 Report Share Posted September 24, 2007 i know a few brown tounges, wow it makes life so much easier..when there around!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markbivvy Posted September 24, 2007 Report Share Posted September 24, 2007 funny how this bt thing has sprung up in the near middle of the country. if it came from abroad, how come the farms near the coast got missed, is it from the same place as the FM outbreak ?. its come along at a good time for the government. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandersj89 Posted September 24, 2007 Report Share Posted September 24, 2007 For years pigeons have been seen as the #1 agricultural pest and we (PW members) can be proud that we’re part of the effort to control such beasties. Unfortunately there’s a new pest that’s even harder to eradicate and posses an even greater threat to British agriculture and life in the countryside...the ***** that govern us from their concrete covered world in Westminster!20Km zones and 150km zones around farms infected with Bluetongue??? And that’s gonna stop mossies from flying to and fro! They knew it was coming, they knew the only way to deal with it is to vaccinate and what did they do...hope we’d have a cold (for that read freezing) winter. Yeh right. This government spends more than any other on it's bureaucracy and still we're in the s****. If GB does call an early election then lets make sure he gets kicked into touch so fast his **** will be the last thing to go through his mind. Will the others do any better? Probably not but at least we'd get some new ***** to rant at! See my post above, there is no vaccine for this strain, there wont be for some time. The powers that be, and that is not just defra, have been working on a vaccine for some time but you cant sort this over night. They are very tricky beasts. A cold spell or a frost will help, the virus ceases to replicate at 12degrees or lower, fact. A frost will reduce the population of midges and hold them back, hopefully giving time for a vaccine to be developed. However once we start to vaccinate we have another problem, it means the disease has a foot hold and will be with us from now on. Spring 2008 could be a telling point if it is found more than 2 animals have been infected. As for a change in government making a better fist of this.....I doubt it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suffolk shooter Posted September 24, 2007 Report Share Posted September 24, 2007 Can I just point out that Northern Mainland Europe has colder winters than we do and yet still this BT carrying midge/Mozzie manages to infect them year upon year. It would seem that East anglia being closest to Holland, Germany etc. and having a large frieght port in felixstowe may have something to do with it especially seeing as recently (two weeks ago) there was a cattle carrier in Ipswich as the normal Dover - Calais run was disrupted. Coincidence, I think not. These ships normally sail under a flag of convieniance and I doubt whether the ship is throughly disinfected before/after each load SS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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