Call for more research on virus spread by midges

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has called for more research on a new virus spread by midges and which has been found in livestock on 3,745 farms, including 267 in the UK.

Schmallenberg (SBV) was first confirmed in Germany in November last year. It has since then been confirmed in eight EU countries. It causes fever in adult cattle and birth deformities and deaths in newborn lambs, calves and goatlings.

EFSA, in publishing its latest scientific update yesterday, said there were knowledge gaps about the virus, the infection rate for which across the EU it has said does not exceed 4% for sheep and 2% for cattle.

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