Title: Blue Tongue Virus Sweeps Across Netherlands and Belgium, Threatens Livestock Industry
Article:
The livestock industry faces an uphill battle as the blue tongue virus (BTV3) spreads from the Netherlands to Flanders, causing significant losses in the sheep and cattle sectors. This contagion, transmitted by small midges, has resulted in high mortality and disease rates, with the current strain being more virulent than previous versions.
The BTV3 virus has left the sector reeling, despite the availability of a vaccine since 2024. Voluntary vaccinations have proven inadequate in controlling the impact of the virus, leaving the threat of a resurgence very real.Adding to these concerns, there are fears of the emergence of BTV8 and the Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) virus from France. EIA, a severe viral infection with similarities to blue tongue, poses an additional threat to the cattle sector.
In response to this growing crisis, a mandatory vaccination campaign has been implemented, effective from 2025, to combat the three livestock diseases under the motto "Prevention is better than cure." Here’s what farmers can expect:
- All sheep and cattle born before January 1, 2025, must be vaccinated against BTV3 and BTV8.
- Additionally, all cattle born before January 1, 2025, with the exception of meat calves, must be vaccinated against EIA.
- Animals are considered fully vaccinated when they have received all primary vaccinations by June 1, 2025, and these records are registered in Sanitel.
The primary goals of this campaign are to protect the animals and the profitability of the businesses, while maintaining the competitive strength of the agricultural sector.
The economic impact of these viral diseases extends beyond the high mortality rates. A unanimous concern among farmers is the reduced milk production, spontaneous abortions, and deaths or premature births of livestock. A sheep farmer from Ninove, for instance, has reported losing one in four lambs to blue tongue.
Wallonia has already allocated 17 million euros to assist farmers affected by the blue tongue virus, but Flanders has yet to provide any financial compensation. Initially, farmers were also expected to bear the costs of mandatory vaccinations. However, following industry protests, outgoing federal Minister of Agriculture David Clarinval (MR) has allocated a 40 million euro budget to support these costs:
- A subsidy of 23.50 euros per fully vaccinated cattle.
- A subsidy of 7 euros per fully vaccinated sheep.
- Veterinarians will receive 75 euros per cattle herd and 50 euros per sheep flock for monitoring vaccinations.
The mandatory vaccination will officially come into effect upon publication of the relevant legislation in the Belgian Official Gazette.
