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Infection with bluetongue can significantly compromise livestock welfare. The severity of disease varies among different species and the strain of virus impacts the severity of clinical signs.
In sheep
Symptoms are most severe in sheep, resulting in deaths, weight loss and disruption in wool growth. Sheep are more likely to show obvious clinical signs of bluetongue than cattle if they become infected.
Signs of bluetongue in sheep include:
ulcers or sores in the mouth and nose
discharge from the eyes or nose and drooling from mouth
swelling of the lips, tongue, head and neck, and the coronary band (where the skin of the leg meets the horn of the foot)
Other clinical signs include:
red skin, as a result of blood collecting beneath the surface
fever
lameness
breathing problems
abortion
death
In cattle
Cattle often have a higher infection rate than sheep.
Signs of bluetongue in cattle include:
crusty erosions around the nostrils and muzzle
redness of the mouth, eyes, nose
reddening of the skin above the hoof
nasal discharge
reddening and erosions on the teats
fever
milk drop
not eating
lethargy (dull/sluggish)
lameness
reluctant to move
abortion
Adult cattle may serve as a source of virus for several weeks while displaying little or no clinical signs of disease, and are often the preferred host for insect vectors.
In calves
Calves can become infected with bluetongue (BTV-8) before birth if the mother is infected while pregnant.
Signs of bluetongue infection in calves include:
born small, weak, deformed or blind
death within a few days of birth
abortions
Livestock keepers and vets should consider bluetongue as a possible cause for calves showing these signs.
If you keep livestock, you must continue to keep a close watch for and report any suspicion of bluetongue disease in your animals. If you suspect your animals are affected you must immediately notify your local APHA office.
Animals can recover from the disease. Such animals become immune to the strain that infected them and, after around 60 days, they stop shedding virus into the bloodstream, meaning they no longer pose a risk in terms of onward infection of the midge population. However, there are long terms impacts on productivity and fertility.
Contact
If you suspect signs of any notifiable diseases, you must immediately notify your Scotland: field service local office at the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). Failure to do so is an offence.
