Scientists at The Pirbright Institute have played a key role in providing assurance that the UK remains free from bluetongue following the positive test results of four cattle which had moved from France into the north of England and Scotland in October 2017 without sufficient vaccination proof.
BTV causes a disease in farmed animals such as sheep, goats and cattle and the disease and related movement restrictions can have a major impact on livestock production. Areas of northern Europe, including France, have been affected by BTV since 2006. While the UK remains free of BTV, accurate surveillance carried out on live animal consignments moving from neighbouring countries affected by BTV transmission is vital. In the UK this is carried out by the European Reference Laboratory for BTV based at Pirbright, which identified the infected cattle shipped from France in October 2017.
Immediately these cases of BTV were confirmed, Pirbright’s experts in the transmission and spread of the virus worked closely with partners at the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Scottish Government and Defra to advise when and where secondary surveillance should be carried out to detect possible onwards transmission.
To estimate the timing of onwards transmission, scientists looked at several factors that can influence how BTV is spread, including seasonal changes in the population size of adult female Culicoides biting midges (which spread the virus) and the temperatures at which the virus can replicate. Then, the Reference Laboratory at Pirbright processed hundreds of samples from cattle sent from the areas which received the animals to demonstrate there was no further transmission.
Dr Carrie Batten, Head of the Non-Vesicular Disease Reference Laboratory at Pirbright, said: ‘Responding rapidly and with a high degree of certainty guaranteed by validated tests is a key component in reducing the impact of these events. These events highlight the challenges to the UK of living with viruses in neighbouring countries and emphasise that joined up approaches to sharing information are vital’.
Dr Simon Carpenter, Head of Entomology at Pirbright, said: ‘A key aim of the bluetongue team at Pirbright is to work effectively with external partners both within government and across scientific disciplines to reduce the impact of viral diseases. This response, which included members from a range of publicly funded scientific groups is a great example of this aim and had real impact for the agricultural community’.
Professor Melanie Welham, BBSRC Chief Executive, said: “The risk of bluetongue virus type 8 and 4 reaching the UK, owing to the possibility of infected midges being carried by the wind from France to the south-east of England, varies from season to season whilst the likelihood of disease entering the UK through the consignment of live animals, which are not fully protected by immunisation, is present all year round. The work carried out by the team at Pirbright is a great example of how biological research plays an important and everyday role in protecting the UK and the importance of our continued support for bioscience and collaboration”.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
The import of bluetongue infected cattle was reported by a Defra press release on 23 October 2017.
The Non-Vesicular Disease Reference Laboratory (NVDRL) at Pirbright carries out surveillance and diagnostics for many viral diseases on behalf of national (Defra) and international organisations (World Organisation for Animal Health). The NVDRL runs the European Reference Laboratory for BTV, which was instrumental in diagnosing the first ever incursion of BTV into northern Europe in 2006, and the first outbreak of BTV in England in September 2007.
Visit the bluetongue virus page on The Pirbright Institute website for more information about the virus and research carried out at the Institute.
For more information please contact communications@pirbright.ac.uk Tel: +44 (0) 1483 231120.
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About The Pirbright Institute
The Pirbright Institute is a world leading centre of excellence in research and surveillance of virus diseases of farm animals and viruses that spread from animals to humans. Based in the UK and receiving strategic funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the Institute works to enhance capability to contain, control and eliminate these economically and medically important diseases through highly innovative fundamental and applied bioscience.
With an annual income of nearly £26.1 million from grants and commercial activity, and a total of £5 million strategic investment from BBSRC during 2016-2017, the Institute contributes to global food security and health, improving quality of life for animals and people.
For more information about The Pirbright Institute see: www.pirbright.ac.uk
About BBSRC
BBSRC invests in world-class bioscience research and training on behalf of the UK public. Our aim is to further scientific knowledge, to promote economic growth, wealth and job creation and to improve quality of life in the UK and beyond.
Funded by government, BBSRC invested £469 million in world-class bioscience in 2016-17. We support research and training in universities and strategically funded institutes. BBSRC research and the people we fund are helping society to meet major challenges, including food security, green energy and healthier, longer lives. Our investments underpin important UK economic sectors, such as farming, food, industrial biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.
More information about BBSRC, our science and our impact: https://bbsrc.ukri.org
More information about BBSRC strategically funded institutes: https://bbsrc.ukri.org/research/institutes/strategically-funded-institutes/