UK faces bluetongue threat as farmers ignore vaccine

Despite the potentially devastating effects of the bluetongue disease, one in four livestock producers in UK are unlikely to vaccinate against the disease this year.

Although more farmers intend to inoculate this year than last, some 30 percent of beef and dairy producers are prepared to run the risk of leaving animals unprotected.

As a result, vaccination levels are likely to fall far short of the blanket coverage needed to guarantee Britain remains bluetongue-free.

But many farmers found it difficult to assess risks posed by the disease for the coming season and were unsure about vaccinating during 2009.

A bluetongue outbreak can halve milk yields in dairy cows and cause high mortality, abortion and fertility loss in cattle.

Yet only 70 percent of dairy producers said they were preparing to vaccinate this year, but the figure is lower for beef, with only 58 percent of producers intending to do so.

Merial veterinary adviser Brian Rice said most farmers understood that a bluetongue outbreak would result in major financial loss without compensation, but many producers failed to understand the risk posed by the disease to their businesses and the role of vaccination in preventing it from spreading more widely.

Rice said that the disease is here to stay and will continue to threaten the livestock in the UK.