Cases of bluetongue have been increasing in Germany since the beginning of July. Now the epidemic has also reached Berlin.
In Berlin, the notifiable animal disease bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) was detected for the first time in a sheep herd in the Steglitz-Zehlendorf district. The Steglitz-Zehlendorf district office reports this in a press release. So far, Berlin has been the only federal state in which the virus has not yet been detected in livestock. It is unclear how many animals are affected and what effects bluetongue disease has on sheep populations. In Germany, bluetongue disease must be reported to the responsible veterinary authority.
The district office advises to consult a farm veterinarian if there are any unclear signs of illness. In addition, vaccination of animals is strongly recommended by the Friedrich Loeffler Institute and the Standing Vaccination Commission for Veterinary Medicine (StIKo Vet).
The virus is not transmitted directly from animal to animal, but rather by small blood-sucking mosquitoes. The disease mainly affects cattle, sheep and goats and is very painful. Sick animals can show symptoms such as lameness, fever, poor general health with reduced food and water intake, edema and crust formation, especially in the head area, and in the worst case, die. The tongue of sick animals may turn blue.
Bluetongue virus (BTV) is harmless to humans. Meat and dairy products from animals that are susceptible to bluetongue can also be consumed safely.
Germany was officially considered free of the disease until autumn 2023. The variant first appeared in the Netherlands in September 2023 and spread quickly. In October 2023, the first infection in Germany was confirmed in a sheep herd in North Rhine-Westphalia. A rapid increase has been observed across Germany since the beginning of July 2024.
