Killer sheep virus 'may last for a year': Deadly disease spreading at alarming rate, experts warn

By Tamara Cohen for the Daily Mail
Updated: 20:48 EST, 1 March 2012


A killer virus blighting sheep and cows is likely to be here for another year and is spreading at an alarming rate, experts warned yesterday.

Schmallenberg virus has already been detected at 83 farms in England, killing thousands of newborn lambs or causing them to be born with serious deformities.

Yesterday experts said it was likely to be made worse by the warm weather and could spread across the whole country, putting another breeding season at risk.

Under threat: Sheep are at risk from a new virus from Europe which is threatening to ravage flocks across Britain

Under threat: Sheep are at risk from a new virus from Europe which is threatening to ravage flocks across Britain

Professor Peter Mertens, of the Institute of Animal Health at  Pirbright in Surrey, said the spread was much faster than the bluetongue virus which hit Britain in 2007 causing devastation.

Both are spread by biting midges, but bluetongue affected fewer animals and remained in the south east for several months before spreading nationwide.

Schmallenberg has already rapidly swept across 14 counties, causing lambs to be stillborn or have deformities such as fused limbs, misshapen heads and twisted necks.

Farmers have called the outbreak a ‘potential catastrophe’. As the lambing season has only just begun, the full impact is likely to be felt in the coming weeks.

Some farmers have reported losing 30 per cent of their lambs since it arrived in the country last month from Europe. Tens of thousands of farms are affected in Germany, France and Holland.

The virus also affects adult cattle – which get ill for a few days. The effect on calves are not yet known as they will not be born for another few months.

Blight: The Schmallenberg virus also affects cows, but the effect on calves is not yet known

Blight: The Schmallenberg virus also affects cows, but the effect on calves is not yet known

Professor Mertens said there were two possible scenarios – either the virus would burn out and disappear or that it would continue to blight herds well into next year.

He said the idea of it burning out this year was ‘probably too good to be true’ and said it had the potential to spread across the whole country.

As it is a new virus, named after the small town in Germany where it was first detected in October, there is currently no vaccine, although scientists are frantically working on one.