Questions Raised as More Cattle Test Positive
UK - DEFRA has confirmed another case of bluetongue from cattle imported from France, this time in a batch of 12 cattle on a farm near Crewe.The infections – all bluetongue serotype 8 (BTV8) - were discovered following routine post-import testing and will raise serious questions about why farmers in England are continuing to import from high risk areas on the continent.
The latest case comes as Defra came under growing pressure this week in the House of Lords to ban imports from areas on the continent where disease is circulating.
Liberal Democrat peers this week urged Ministers to introduce emergency import restrictions to prevent a ‘catastrophe’ following the discovery of BTV1 on a farm near Blackpool last month.