A Dutch farmer whose dairy herd was hit by bluetongue is
visiting livestock markets across Wales to urge farmers not to
delay vaccinating against the disease.
Jakob Pustjens told farmers attending
Welshpool
Market in north Powys on Monday (9 February) that experience in
the Netherlands showed the disease had devastating impacts on
animal welfare and businesses.
"On our farm bluetongue struck in the autumn of 2007 and I can
tell you it is a quite terrible illness that causes animals great
pain," Mr Pustjens said.
"Over 20% of our 100 cows had flu-like symptoms and problems
with their feet that made it difficult to walk.
"Milk yields fell, some aborted in early pregnancy and it was
generally difficult to get cows back in calf."
Mr Pustjens said the disease cost his business £13,000 but he
"got off lightly" compared with many other farmers near his farm in
southern Holland.
"When the Dutch Government gave the green light to vaccination I
did not have to think twice," he said.
He urged farmers not to follow farmers in northern Holland, who
believed virus-carrying midges would not reach their units.
By the time that livestock showed visible signs of the disease
it was already too late for them, he said.
Sheep in particular could not fight the disease and many died
within a few days.
Cattle could recover but high yielding dairy cows had lower
resistance, especially when coping with the stresses of peak
lactation.
He said he had seen no evidence of links between the vaccine and
either abortions or infertility, but animals that developed the
disease showed a higher incidence of both.
"My advice to farmers in the UK is vaccinate before bluetongue
is diagnosed in their area.
"They should also keep up the pressure on scientists to develop
protection against other strains that have appeared in some
European countries."
The visit to Welshpool was the first many planned for England
and Wales over two weeks with the support of the
Livestock Auctioneers
Association and
Merial Animal
Health - though Mr Pustjens said he had no connection with the
vaccine production company.