Glyn Davies, Montgomeryshire’s Conservative MP is calling on livestock farmers to contact their vets if they have a suspected case of Schmallenberg Disease in their flocks or herds. He made the call despite Schmallenberg Disease not being a ‘notifiable’ disease.
The Schmallenberg virus is thought to have been spread to parts of Southern England by midges blown across from the European mainland where it was first discovered last year. The virus affects sheep and cattle, and leads to abortions and foetal deformities. Already there have been confirmed cases of the disease in several English counties, including Gloucestershire.
Commenting on the arrival of the virus in the UK, Glyn Davies, who was himself a livestock farmer said;
“We do not know what the impact of Schmallenberg Disease will be. It is a new virus, and it will be perhaps 18 months until a vaccine can be developed. We must do all we can to ensure that as much information can be gathered about the disease, and its spread as possible – and I would encourage every farmer who has a ewe which aborts its lambs for no apparent reason, or delivers lambs with deformities to contact their vets. We need to know if it’s Schmallenberg Disease or not. It is not a notifiable disease, because at this stage this step is not justified, but experience teaches us that we should adopt all caution.”
