Fears grow over impact of livestock virus blowing into the UK

By midweek, Defra had confirmed more findings of the newly-discovered Schmallenberg Virus in lambs – taking the total from four to 11.

Having previously given the impression that it was talking about numbers of animals, Defra also admitted that its figures were for single samples from different premises and each farm probably had a number of animals infected, so the total is at least in dozens.

A Norfolk vet told the Yorkshire Post he had seen a farm where 27 ewes were giving birth and a quarter of the lambs had the hunched limbs characteristic of SBV.

Norfolk, Suffolk, East Sussex and Kent, all now have confirmed cases. All are in the area identified as potentially at risk from infected midges blown across the Channel from affected areas in Europe. There are no obvious links to importation and midges biting last summer-autumn are still thought to be the cause of the English outbreak.

Defra’s veterinary service, the AHVLA, said: “As surveillance continues and the lambing season progress we would expect further cases.”

Germany and the Netherlands were said to be reporting fresh cases at an alarming rate and the European Commission called for an urgent report on possible threats to human health, especially pregnant women.

Transmission to humans is thought unlikely but cattle and goats are known to be also vulnerable.

Many questions about the disease remain unanswered and experts say a vaccine is at least a year away.