Prague, Sept. 6, (dpa/GNA) – Bluetongue, a disease which affects certain types of farm animals, has reappeared in the Czech Republic for the first time in 15 years.
The disease was detected in a breeding ram by laboratory testing, the Agriculture Ministry in Prague said on Friday. The virus is harmless to humans.
The current outbreak of the disease began in the Netherlands and then spread southwards and westwards. Cases were initially reported in Belgium and then in several parts of Germany.
The Czech outbreak was detected on a farm in Jindřichovice in the Sokolov district, close to the German border.
The ram had shown typical disease symptoms including fever, nasal discharge, breathing difficulties and loss of appetite. The Czech veterinary authorities set up a restriction zone with a radius of 150 kilometres around the farm. Cattle, sheep and goats may only be moved from this zone to other regions under strict conditions.
The bluetongue virus is transmitted by mosquitoes, and mainly affects sheep and cattle, though llamas, alpacas, goats and wild ruminants are also susceptible.
A certain degree of protection against the disease can be achieved through vaccination.