Today's most viewed
Farmers braced for bluetongue epidemic
Every farm in Sussex will be given lifesaving injections for cattle and sheep to stave off the threat of the deadly bluetongue disease.
Industry bosses feared the county's livestock would be devastated this summer from a fresh outbreak of the insect carried virus.
But so many doses of the vaccine that prevents bluetongue has been produced, it is believed every herd and flock in Sussex will soon get the treatment.
Yesterday's decision has seen the Dorset and South East zones joined, now covering all of Hampshire and West Sussex, as well as Lincolnshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire.
The extension is the first in a series of alterations which will eventually see the zones cover the whole of England as more vaccine is delivered to farmers over the summer.
The zone alteration coincides with delivery of a further one million doses of vaccine, all in 50ml bottles.
Now farmers in the new protection zone are being urged to place orders for vaccine as soon as possible.
Defra hopes that every county will be in the protection zone by the end of June - effectively meaning free livestock trade across the country.
Trevor Passmore, of Coombes Farm near Lancing, is the West Sussex National Farmers' Union representative on the South East Livestock Board.
He said: "Once animals are vaccinated, it means farmers can move and trade livestock from one protection zone to another.
"Once the country is completely vaccinated it will be free trade. We will also be able to move livestock to other areas of Europe in the protection zone."
East Sussex farmers began receiving the vaccinations from May 1. The protection zone was set up from East Sussex to Lincolnshire last August.
The disease, which is spread by midges, first emerged in the UK last September and there are now 127 confirmed cases.
Defra initially ordered more than 20 million doses of the vaccine nationwide. West Sussex will benefit before the warm weather increases the number of midges.
Farmers are being urged to remain vigilant for signs of disease with warmer weather likely to bring forward any outbreak this year.
Those farmers coming into the new protection zone will be subject to the same restrictions as those in the existing zone.
Animals can only be moved out of the zone if they have been vaccinated or are naturally immune or direct to slaughter.
9:50am Tuesday 13th May 2008
Print 
Email this 
CommentPosted by: dickie manlove, manlove villas on 12:00pm Tue 13 May 08
[quote]The disease, which is spread by midgets, first emerged in the UK last September and there are now 127 confirmed cases.[/quote]
I've got to say I've never trusted them little fellows with their little arms and legs. Why don't farmers just put up slightly higher fences to keep the little buggers out?
The disease, which is spread by midgets, first emerged in the UK last September and there are now 127 confirmed cases.
I've got to say I've never trusted them little fellows with their little arms and legs. Why don't farmers just put up slightly higher fences to keep the little buggers out?
Posted by: Zero Tolerance, Hove on 2:29pm Tue 13 May 08
At a recent Cage rage orgy, we prayed to allah and enduced a blue toilet disinfectant type dip. At the end of the night there's Kickboxer sat propped up against the wall with a severe case of Blue tongue. I should really of reported this incident but alas its normal behaviour by kickboxer really.
At a recent Cage rage orgy, we prayed to allah and enduced a blue toilet disinfectant type dip. At the end of the night there's Kickboxer sat propped up against the wall with a severe case of Blue tongue. I should really of reported this incident but alas its normal behaviour by kickboxer really.
Posted by: Crocker, Bridge Street drinking gutter tea on 2:37pm Tue 13 May 08
[quote][bold]Zero Tolerance[/bold] wrote:
At a recent Cage rage orgy, we prayed to allah and enduced a blue toilet disinfectant type dip. At the end of the night there's Kickboxer sat propped up against the wall with a severe case of Blue tongue. I should really of reported this incident but alas its normal behaviour by kickboxer really.[/quote] Sounds like a similar story when an unamed cycle shop owner had too suck a kilo of blackjacks off his owners tool just to get his freedom back.
Zero Tolerance wrote:
At a recent Cage rage orgy, we prayed to allah and enduced a blue toilet disinfectant type dip. At the end of the night there's Kickboxer sat propped up against the wall with a severe case of Blue tongue. I should really of reported this incident but alas its normal behaviour by kickboxer really.
Sounds like a similar story when an unamed cycle shop owner had too suck a kilo of blackjacks off his owners tool just to get his freedom back.
Posted by: Ian M A Payne, Ham Manor on 2:47pm Tue 13 May 08
[quote][bold]Zero Tolerance[/bold] wrote:
At a recent Cage rage orgy, we prayed to allah and enduced a blue toilet disinfectant type dip. At the end of the night there's Kickboxer sat propped up against the wall with a severe case of Blue tongue. I should really of reported this incident but alas its normal behaviour by kickboxer really.[/quote] I sincerly hope there isn't an outbreak for our beloved farmers in Sussex. Mind you Langmeads never had any problems growing houses
Zero Tolerance wrote:
At a recent Cage rage orgy, we prayed to allah and enduced a blue toilet disinfectant type dip. At the end of the night there's Kickboxer sat propped up against the wall with a severe case of Blue tongue. I should really of reported this incident but alas its normal behaviour by kickboxer really.
I sincerly hope there isn't an outbreak for our beloved farmers in Sussex. Mind you Langmeads never had any problems growing houses
Posted by: idiots, suck on 4:43pm Tue 13 May 08
OH DEAR !
Farmers had better go terrorize some badgers quick! or maybe they can find some other poor long suffering wild animal or bird that they can blame for the bluetongue disease,rather than cleaning up their own act and stopping bluetongue and bovine tb in its tracks.
But why bother? its so much easier to just claim even more taxpayers money and blame some poor defenseless wild animal with a string of old wives tales as proof!
OH DEAR !
Farmers had better go terrorize some badgers quick! or maybe they can find some other poor long suffering wild animal or bird that they can blame for the bluetongue disease,rather than cleaning up their own act and stopping bluetongue and bovine tb in its tracks.
But why bother? its so much easier to just claim even more taxpayers money and blame some poor defenseless wild animal with a string of old wives tales as proof!
What are these links for?
If you liked this article and would like to share it with others on the web who might be searching for good content we've made it easy for you to do it.
At the bottom of all articles, you'll see links to six sites. These sites - commonly called 'social bookmark' or 'social news' sites - have large communities of web users who share and rate interesting, useful and fun things on the web.
Clicking the links will automatically add the address of the story you are reading to one of these sites, letting you share it with others. Each site will ask you to register to share stories. Registration is free and once a member, you can store, recommend and search for stories that interest you.
More on Digg
More on del.icio.us
More on Furl
More on reddit
More on NowPublic/
More on Yahoo!
