Schmallenberg Virus: There have been reports of an outbreak of a novel virus among cattle, sheep and goats in The Netherlands, Germany, the UK and Belgium.
In August 2011, the first clinical signs appeared in cattle including fever, reduced milk yield, and in some cases diarrhoea.
In November 2011 and in January 2012, additional clinical signs appeared as miscarriages and stillbirths associated with congenital abnormalities, mainly affecting sheep, but also cattle and goats.
Tests carried out have identified a new virus named Schmallenberg Virus (SBV). It appears to belong to a group of viruses which are spread mainly by midges and mosquitoes, although there is no clarity as yet about the main method of transmission.
Assessments carried out by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), have so far indicated that the risk to human health from Schmallenberg Virus (SBV) appears to be very low. Farmers and veterinarians are however advised to take hygiene precautions when working with livestock. More. IFAH-Europe Annual Report 2011 Now Available  The IFAH-Europe 2011 annual report is now available for public consultation and download. This year, the report opens with a message from David Mackay, Head of Veterinary Medicines and Product Data Management at the European Medicines Agency and includes an "eye-to-eye" with the Chairs of IFAH-Europe's operating committees dealing with our main strategic priorities: regulatory affairs, food chain and communications.
Download the report here.
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