Schmallenberg virus - Dutch testing humans


Pat's Note: Up-to-date figures from the Netherlands Government and a
very proper proposal from the cautious Dutch on testing humans.

In Britain, the government veterinarians are still trying to locate
the English Channel and hanging onto the theory that the wind from
France, which did not have any cases in the area facing England, blew
midges carrying Schmallenberg Virus ( SBV) to Norfolk, which as any
school atlas will tell you, is many miles away from the English
Channel and actually on the North Sea.

Oxford University using continental data have today, dealing with
earlier epidemics of bluetongue, a different disease, asserted that
the midges can fly against the wind anyway. Even so it is a long way
across the North Sea.

Anyway, here is the Dutch government, on the ball, as always.



Schmallenberg virus now confirmed at 3 cattle farms, 88 sheep farms
and 5 goat farms

News item | 09-02-2012

Minister for Agriculture and Foreign Trade Henk Bleker has notified
the House of Representatives that the Netherlands Food and Consumer
Product Safety Authority (NVWA) has at 8 February 2012 received
reports from 450 farms of symptoms that could indicate infection with
the Schmallenberg virus. These reports have been received from 168
sheep farms, 261 cattle farms and 21 goat farms. The virus has been
confirmed at 3 cattle farms, 88 sheep farms and 5 goat farms. Testing
continues on a further 91 farms.

In Germany the virus has since been detected at 10 cattle farms, 317
sheep farms and 15 goat farms. In Belgium the virus has been found at
4 cattle farms, 83 sheep farms and 1 goat farm. As at 30 January the
virus has been detected at 50 sheep farms in France and as at 25
January there have been confirmed cases at 32 sheep farms, 1 cattle
farm and 1 goat farm in the United Kingdom.

Public Health

The Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (RIVM) has concluded
that based on all available information, transmission of the virus to
humans is highly unlikely. To identify human cases of the virus both a
viral antibody test and a test to identify the virus itself have been
developed. The RIVM is working on a proposal to test larger groups of
people in order to assess whether exposure to the virus can lead to
infection. A number of experts will meet next week to discuss this
proposal, as well as the theoretical risk to humans and what research
is required to reach a definitive conclusion on this matter.

--
Regards
Pat Gardiner
Release and independently audit the results of testing British pigs
for MRSA, C.Diff and Hepatitis E now!
www.go-self-sufficient.com and http://animal-epidemics.blogspot.com/
.