Belgium: More than 17,000 cattle died from blue tongue disease

The blue tongue disease outbreak has severely damaged Belgium's livestock industry. According to the latest figures from Rendac, the government agency responsible for collecting and disposing of animal carcasses, an estimated 11,000 sheep and 6,000 cows have died since the blue tongue virus appeared in the country.

A cow farm in Faimes, Wallonia. Photo: Brussels Times

According to Rendac's report, the company normally processes around 1,000 sheep carcasses and 2,500 cattle carcasses nationwide each week. However, since the outbreak, these numbers have skyrocketed to 4-5 times for sheep and 2 times for cattle. This demonstrates the severity of the epidemic.

According to Sebastian Feyten, CEO of Rendac, although the company does not directly determine the cause of death of individual cattle, the sudden increase in the number of dead animals shows that the disease is causing serious damage. Thousands of dead animals have caused huge losses for farmers, causing heavy damage to the Belgian livestock industry.

According to the Belgian Federal Food Safety Authority (Afsca), bluetongue is spread mainly through mosquito bites. All ruminants are susceptible to the disease. To prevent the spread of the disease, Afsca recommends that livestock keepers vaccinate their herds. The disease is not transmitted to humans.

Strengthening disease prevention and control measures is essential to protect livestock health and ensure food safety for consumers.

LAM DIEN

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/bi-hon-17000-con-gia-suc-chet-do-dich-benh-luoi-xanh-post756025.html