Title: Fighting Back Against Bluetongue: Mallorca Leads the Charge in Vaccinating Livestock
Mallorca, balearic islands, and the rest of Spain are grappling with their worst livestock crisis in recent times, courtesy of a Culicoides genus mosquito that transmits Bluetongue disease. This virus has been relentlessly attacking sheep and cattle, making vaccination the sole defense against it. In a robust response, Mallorca has already vaccinated 30% of its livestock, with tens of thousands more doses expected in the coming months.
"The vaccination pace is positive," assures Fernando Fernández, Director General of Agriculture, Livestock, and Rural Development. His team aims to protect 85% of the region’s livestock before April, when the transmitting mosquito’s new active period begins. This vaccination process will need to be repeated for three consecutive years to achieve the European Commission’s ‘zone free from Bluetongue’ status.
The initial 60,000 doses, received in November, targeted farms with declared outbreaks, prioritizing those with over 500 animals due to higher risk of disease propagation. This phase vaccinated 19% of the livestock, or 46,300 animals.
In early December, another 100,000 vials arrived. For sheep, 67,782 animals from 816 farms (27% of the sheep population) have been vaccinated. Mallorca reached 28%, Menorca 14%, and Ibiza 18.7%. For cattle, 1,303 animals have been vaccinated, with Mallorca accounting for 23% of its cattle population.
Fernández acknowledges the complexities of this mass vaccination effort, involving significant logistics and resources. However, he assures that vaccine supply will not be an issue, with the remaining 500,000 doses expected in February.
Bluetongue is a contagious disease affecting ruminants, previously well-controlled in Spain but now causing significant concern across Europe and Spain due to the increase in circulating serotypes – now 12, with four coexisting in Spain. Each vaccine is specific to a single serotype, complicating the response.
Spain’s unique approach to managing the disease has isolated it from other countries, with different strategies in place for neighboring France and Portugal,which have not mandated vaccination. This difference highlights the shared risk across borders.
Despite initial production gaps due to the emergence of serotypes 3 and 8, Spain’s two authorized vaccine producers are now fully focused on meeting local and European demands. With vaccinations underway and more doses on the way, Mallorca and Spain are determined to turn the tide against Bluetongue.
