Quote from Paula Menzies on 28-10-2024, 16:44

This post on BT-12 from Pro-Med this past weekend:

BLUETONGUE - EUROPE (21): NETHERLANDS, SEROTYPE 12, SPREAD
**********************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org

[1]
Date: Fri 25 Oct 2024
Source: Veelteelt Vlees [in Dutch, machine trans., edited]
https://veeteeltvlees.nl/gezondheid/nieuwe-blauwtongvariant-verder-verspreid-dan-verwacht

The new bluetongue virus serotype 12 (BTV-12) has been detected on 8
farms in 4 different provinces.

In total, it concerns 3 sheep and 8 cattle [farms], as reported by
Minister of Agriculture Femke Wiersma in a letter to the Lower House.
Eight of the samples originate from locations in the Harmelen-'s
Graveland area, one originates from a cattle [farm] in Flevoland, one
from a cattle [farm] in Landsmeer and one from a cattle [farm] in the
Gelderland municipality of Bronckhorst.

Because the new bluetongue variant is now present in several places,
the minister has lifted the blockade of the first 2 companies. There
are also no transport restrictions.

Research whether existing vaccines are effective
------------------------------------------------
The minister has instructed Royal GD and the Netherlands Food and
Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) to map out the symptoms of
the new variant and gain insight into the spread of BTV-12.

The minister has shared information about the genetic composition of
the new virus with vaccine manufacturers, in the hope that they can
use it to develop a vaccine. Of the currently known vaccines against
BTV-12, one was tested, but it did not match the variant of BTV-12 in
the Netherlands. A 2nd existing vaccine is still being tested.

No illegal vaccines used
------------------------
Variants of BTV-12 occur in Africa, Israel, Asia and North and South
America. The known variants do not resemble the Dutch variant
sufficiently to be able to indicate a specific origin. The 2 companies
where the new virus was first detected were visited, but there was no
indication that unauthorized vaccines were used on these companies.
The NVWA also investigated rumors that unauthorized vaccines had been
used elsewhere in the country, but the investigation yielded no
results. Also, no animals were imported from areas where BTV-12 is
prevalent.

Ongoing research into BTV-12
----------------------------
The new BTV-12 infections came to light after examining more than 2500
samples submitted between 13 Sep and 11 Oct 2024. All samples
submitted after 11 Oct 2024 are tested as standard for both the known
BTV-3 and the new variant BTV-12.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED

******
[2]
Date: Sat 26 Oct 2024
Source: Omroep Flevoland [in Dutch, machine trans., edited]
https://www.omroepflevoland.nl/nieuws/402015/nieuwe-variant-blauwtongvirus-duikt-op-in-flevoland

A cow in Flevoland has been infected with a new variant of the
bluetongue virus, writes Minister Wiersma of Agriculture in a letter
to the House of Representatives.

Wiersma did not disclose where the virus was found. The new variant
emerged after additional research that the ministry had carried out on
more than 2500 samples of infections that had been detected since
September [2024]. Eleven samples were found to be infected with the
new virus, one of which came from Flevoland.

The common bluetongue virus (BTV-3) causes a blue tongue, high fever
and swelling in cattle and sheep. The animals can eventually die from
the virus. Little is known about the contagiousness and the course of
the disease of the new variant. More research is needed for this, the
minister says in the letter to parliament.

BTV-12
------
The new bluetongue virus variant is called BTV-12. This variant occurs
in Africa, Israel, Asia and North and South America. The research did
not reveal how exactly this variant arrived in the Netherlands.

Despite the discovery of the new variant, the number of reports of new
infections with all variants of the virus is actually decreasing.
However, the minister writes to the House of Representatives that the
number of dead cattle is still higher than in 2022 around this time,
when there was no bluetongue in the Netherlands.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED

[Based on the retroactive testing, it would appear that multiple farms
were nearly simultaneously infected in September 2024 with the BTV-12
variant, but missed by initial screening tests as BTV-12 was not being
tested for at that time. As the BTV situation across Europe becomes
more clouded with additional serotypes present, it will be all the
more important to tailor diagnostics to identify as many types as
possible, and to be able to rapidly add new serotypes to existing
vaccine platforms. If not, we'll constantly be fighting last year's
outbreak which makes producers unwilling to vaccinate. - Mod.JH

ProMED map:
Netherlands: https://promedmail.org/promed-post?place=8719635,104]