Bluetongue Disease in Sheep: Welfare During Outbreaks

Bluetongue virus causes severe disease in sheep with significant welfare impacts, requiring vaccination and outbreak management to protect flocks.

Key Facts

Bluetongue is caused by Bluetongue virus (BTV) transmitted by Culicoides midges
Multiple serotypes exist - immunity to one does not protect against others
Sheep are more severely affected than cattle - clinical disease includes fever, facial edema, oral ulcers, and lameness
Mortality rates in affected sheep can reach 30-70% without intervention
EU bluetongue outbreaks in 2006-2009 and recurrent episodes have caused major sheep losses
Vaccination is the most effective control measure but availability and serotype matching are challenges
Movement restrictions during outbreaks protect unaffected regions but cause welfare stress from transport interruption

Welfare Considerations

Bluetongue causes severe suffering in clinically affected sheep - fever, painful oral ulcers preventing eating, foot rot-like lesions causing lameness, and respiratory distress from lung involvement. The disease course is prolonged in surviving animals, with recovery taking weeks. Vaccination programs that match circulating serotypes prevent this suffering. During outbreaks, supportive care including anti-inflammatory analgesia, soft feed provision, and appropriate isolation reduces the welfare burden of individual cases.

What You Can Do

Vaccinate flocks against circulating bluetongue serotypes under veterinary guidance
Monitor national bluetongue surveillance reports and midge forecasts during risk periods
Provide anti-inflammatory analgesia and supportive care to clinically affected sheep
Offer soft, palatable feed to sheep with oral lesions that make normal eating painful
Comply with movement restrictions to prevent geographic spread and protect unvaccinated flocks