The Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment has today reported that 40 sheep farms infected by bluetongue virus serotype 8 have already been detected in the Balearics, 34 outbreaks on farms in Mallorca and four in Menorca. The department headed by Joan Simonet explains in a statement that at the meeting held on Tuesday between the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and animal health officials of the communities agreed on measures to make animal movements more flexible.
It has been determined that all animals that go directly to slaughterhouses will have to be disinsected and treated with repellent. “As for movements between communities of animals destined for fatteners or movements to live animals, they have to comply with the following requirements: if they are under three months old, they will have to be disinsected and treated with repellents. "If they are older than three months, in addition to being disinsected, they must present a negative PCR, have passed an inspection and have a report signed by an official veterinarian,” explains the Balearic Government.
For movements within the islands, this certificate is not required, but rather a responsible declaration by the farmer, says the Ministry of Agriculture, which is working with the Ministry to provide the necessary vaccines for a vaccination campaign. In Mallorca, the farms affected by the disease are in the municipalities of Soller (9), Deya (8), Pollensa (7), Esporles (2), Campanet (2), Escorca (2), Bunyola (1), Estellencs (1), Fornalutx (1), Andratx (1), Alaro (1) and Valldemossa (1). In addition, other possible cases are being analysed in Binissalem, Inca, Lloseta, Calvia, Palma, Puigpunyent and Santa Margalida, which are still suspected but not yet confirmed.
In Menorca, there are outbreaks in Ferreries, Ciutadella and Es Migjorn Gran (2).
The ministry has stressed that this health alert has no impact on public health, as bluetongue is a viral disease that is transmitted by mosquitoes of the genus Culicoides and only affects ruminants of different species. Traditionally, Culicoides imicola has been found in subtropical Asia and Africa. However, due to climate change, they have spread all the way to Europe and as far as Sweden.
The increase in temperature has positively impacted C. imicola distribution, which has raised concern in the spread of disease across central Europe as the flies make their way northward. Without a significant improvement in epidemiological control measures, what is currently considered a once-in-20-years outbreak of bluetongue would occur as frequently as once in five or seven years by midcentury under all but the most optimistic climate change scenario.