5/2/2023:  The first outbreak of EHD in Europe was detected in early November 2022 in a number of cattle at various Italian cattle farms on the island of Sardinia and subsequently on Sicily. Reports of infected cattle in Spain soon followed in November and December. While the virus had already been detected in wild (mainly deer) and domesticated ruminants in North Africa, North America, Australia and Asia, this was the first occurrence on the European continent. EHD is caused by an
orbivirus (RNA virus), related to the bluetongue virus, and like bluetongue is transmitted by stinging insects of the Culicoides genus (midges). EHD may have been brought by vectors from the north-western region of Africa to the southern European regions. It is first and foremost a severe disorder in deer, while cattle and sheep occasionally fall ill. It is not zoonotic. EHD belongs in the category of ‘D and E animal diseases’, for which measures must be taken to prevent it spreading and for which monitoring is required within the EU. There is as yet no vaccine to combat EHD in cattle. You can also read the article in the highlights report ruminants of March 2023

 

In this report you can also find more information on:

• IBR outbreak in the Northern Netherlands
• Udder health at dairy farms shows unfavourable development
• Nitrate intoxication in cattle
• Three botulism outbreaks at cattle farms
• Besnoitiosis

 

Highlights report ruminants