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Several outbreaks of bluetongue virus (BTV) type 8 have been detected in goats, cattle and sheep on the Italian island of Sardinia. The first outbreak occurred in October but was not reported to the World Organization for Animal Health (Woah) until January 26th.
The BTV-8 outbreak has now reached mainland Italy. On November 14th, 3 infected sheep were found there in a herd of 273 animals. The infection was finally diagnosed on January 12th and also reported to Woah on January 26th.
Many animals in Sardinia are affected by BTV-8. According to the report, there are a total of 212 outbreaks. Sheep are the worst affected. 8,324 infected sheep were found in herds totaling more than 90,000 animals.
High mortality in sheep
Of the infected sheep, 3,453 died. This is a high number compared to previous BTV-8 outbreaks. During the previous outbreak of this bluetongue virus in the Netherlands, there were no deaths among sheep.
Of a total of 1,220 infected goats in the various herds, 32 became infected and 13 died. In cattle, 16 of the 614 animals in the affected herds are infected. No cattle have died from the virus.
The bluetongue virus found in Sardinia and mainland Italy is very similar to the type found in the outbreaks in Corsica and southern France. This corresponds to 99.9 percent, report the Italian authorities. It is different from the type responsible for previous bluetongue outbreaks in Europe.
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