EAST Riding livestock farmers have been urged to remain vigilant against bluetongue after fresh outbreaks of the disease were reported.
The warning came as the Government announced plans to extend the country’s protection zone against the disease later this week.
A spokesman for the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said yesterday: “Bluetongue has rece
ntly re-emerged in large areas of France.
“All livestock farmers are strongly encouraged to be vigilant and to vaccinate at the earliest possible opportunity.”
The East Riding already falls within the boundaries of the protection zone, within which animals can be vaccinated against bluetongue.
The zone is now set to be extended tomorrow, Thursday, to include the remaining areas of North Yorkshire, plus Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cheshire, Merseyside and Shropshire.
The extension follows the delivery of more than two million extra doses of the vaccine against the disease.
The spokesman said: “Vaccination is only permitted within the Protection Zone.
“We will continue to expand the Protection Zone and to roll out vaccination to the free area as vaccine is delivered, in line with the vaccination roll-out plan.”
The vaccine can be used within the current protection zone immediately and will also be available in the newly protected areas from Thursday.
But farmers have been urged to order doses to protect their animals as soon as possible.
l Further information on the protection zone, and restrictions on animal movements, can be found by visiting www.defra.gov.uk/bluetongue
The full article contains 254 words and appears in Driffield Times newspaper.
