Jane King's blog

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Bluetongue - all you ever need to know

The Bluetongue vaccine should be available any day now and it's a relief that so many farmers have placed orders and are getting prepared.   Large numbers of the Bluetongue carrying midges have been reported in Belgium and the Netherlands and, with warmer weather on the cards, these are worrying times.

Our message is to encourage everyone to be as vigilant as possible in looking for symptoms of this silent killer.  Livestock editor Jonathan Long and FW photographer Jonathan Page have produced some videos, picture galleries and practical content as step by step advice to help you spot the signs and cope with the vaccination process.  

There's a lot of  material about on treatment options and prevention methods so make the most of it and keep us posted on anything else you require from us to help you through.   Farmers can respond to this blog or use the website forums at FWiSpace share their experiences, express a view or just let off steam.        

We need to hear your fears, concerns, ideas and thoughts and we need to know how our livestock content can best meet your needs this spring and summer.   Keep us posted and we will respond.  

Published 28 April 2008 11:57 by Jane King

Comments

# re: Bluetongue - all you ever need to know @ 25 May 2008 18:59

We fatten charolais bulls 100miles south of Paris,and have had a few cases of blue tongue.The symptoms range from lameness to sudden death; postmortems show strange combinations of symptoms, i.e one lobe of the lungs was haemorragic,-a mass of barely clotted blood,while the rest looked ok,and the abdomen was full of water 50to80 litres,the rumen had 3or4 fist sized patches of inflammation ;the animal didn't show any obvious signs of discomfort in the early evening, and was dead by the following morning.According to our vet this typical of what he has been seeing.We have had bulls off their legs,some recover after a good dose of an anti inflammatory drug(to get the temperature down),and vitamins;it can take 2days.Any more than that,and they give up.Neighbours have been having badly presented calves,at calving or lifeless  calves that wont suck.

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