PARIS (Reuters) – France has reported a sixth outbreak of bluetongue disease that affects livestock in eight days, this time in eastern France, the Marne prefecture said on Thursday.
The virus, which is spread by insects and can be deadly for sheep, cattle and goats, has been circulating in the Netherlands, northern Belgium and western Germany since late last year.
France reported a first outbreak of the BTV3 bluetongue disease on a sheep farm near the Belgian border last week and, including Thursday’s announcement, it has now reported six outbreaks in five northeastern departments.
The farm ministry said last week it would speed up and extend a vaccination campaign – taking the number of vaccines that will be given for free to farmers to 6.4 million doses, including 1.1 million for sheep and 5.3 million doses for cattle, up from a total of 4.6 million doses previously.
(Reporting by Benoit Van Overstraeten; Editing by Frances Kerry)
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