The Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment is preparing the vaccination campaign, scheduled for the second week of December, after closing the first purchase of 500,000 vaccines supplied by one of the two laboratories authorised by the Spanish Medicines Agency.
The Directorate General for Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development of the Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Environment has confirmed the first two cases of bluetongue on Ibiza, specifically on two sheep farms in Sant Joan de Labritja, bringing the number of outbreaks of serotype 8 detected throughout the archipelago to 123 (100 in Mallorca, 21 in Menorca and the two on the island of Ibiza).
In Mallorca, the farms affected by the disease are in the municipalities of Sóller (9 outbreaks); Deià and Alaró (8); Pollença (7); Fornalutx, Calvià and Bunyola (6); Campanet, Selva and Estellencs (5); Palma (4); Binissalem, Valldemossa and Escorca (3); Esporles, Lloseta, Andratx and Marratxí (2) and Felanitx, Inca, Capdepera, Ariany, Puigpunyent, Llucmajor, Consell, Mancor de la Vall, Sant Llorenç, Santa Maria, Santanyí, Sencelles, Sineu and Santa Margalida (1).
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Ibiza adds its first two cases of bluetongue and brings the total number of outbreaks in the Balearic Islands to 123
In Menorca, there are two confirmed cases in Alaior, eight in Ciutadella de Menorca, four in Es Mercadal, three outbreaks in Ferreries and four in Es Migjorn Gran.
In addition, there are another 20 possible cases in total in the Balearic Islands, pending the results of the samples.
In this regard, the director general of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development, Fernando Fernández, explained that ‘we know that the disease is spreading and that there are more farms affected, but we only report those cases that we have confirmed with a positive PCR test’.
Vaccines
As reported last week, the Directorate General for Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development has already signed a contract for the supply of 500,000 doses with Syva, one of the two laboratories in Spain authorised by the Spanish Medicines Agency to produce and market the bluetongue vaccine. Delivery is scheduled for early December. For all these reasons, the director general, Fernando Fernández, explained that ‘we have already begun to design the vaccination campaign so that, if there is no delay in the supply, we can start it in the second week of December’. In this sense, ‘the vaccine we have acquired is a single dose in sheep, and is effective not only for serotype 8 – the current and most aggressive – but also for serotype 4, which will further strengthen the immunity of livestock,’ he explained.
Until the vaccination campaign can begin, the Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment has reminded the public that measures must be maintained to prevent the disease from spreading further. These measures are regulated in a protocol that indicates the rules for the movement of livestock both inside and outside the Balearic Islands, and also the obligation to disinfect and disinsect the animals, among others. Also, until further notice, with regard to fairs, competitions and other livestock shows, movements of susceptible species for leisure or similar activities are not authorised within the seasonal period. Outside the seasonal periods, each case will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.