Belgium: More than 17,000 cattle died from bluetongue disease

The bluetongue virus has caused serious damage to Belgium’s livestock industry. According to the latest figures from Rendac, the government agency responsible for collecting and disposing of dead animals, an estimated 11,000 sheep and 6,000 cattle have died since the virus was first detected in the country.

A cow farm in Faimes, Wallonia. Photo: Brussels Times

According to Rendac, the company normally handles around 1,000 sheep carcasses and 2,500 cow carcasses nationwide each week. However, since the outbreak, that number has skyrocketed four to five times for sheep and twice as much for cows, showing the severity of the outbreak.

According to Sebastian Feyten, CEO of Rendac, although the company does not directly determine the cause of death of individual cattle, the sudden increase in the number of dead animals shows that the disease is causing serious damage. Thousands of dead animals have caused huge losses for farmers, causing heavy damage to the Belgian livestock industry.

According to the Belgian Federal Food Safety Authority (Afsca), bluetongue is spread primarily through mosquito bites. All ruminants are susceptible to the disease. To prevent the spread of the disease, Afsca recommends that livestock farmers vaccinate their herds. The disease is not transmitted to humans.

Strengthening disease prevention and control measures is essential to protect livestock health and ensure food safety for consumers.

LAM DIEN

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/bi-hon-17000-con-gia-suc-chet-do-dich-benh-luoi-xanh-post756025.html