Is it really necessary to vaccinate? What about midge control?
Because the vector is an insect, there are no guaranteed methods to prevent transmission of the disease. Control by avoiding or removing midge breeding grounds may reduce vector numbers, and Defra and SEERAD advise keeping stock away from low-lying damp grazing, particularly at dawn and dusk. Dung heaps or slurry pits should be covered or removed, and their perimeters (where most larvae are found) regularly scraped. Defra have recommended the active ingredient deltamethrin as likely to be the most effective insecticide against midges. One deltamethrin-based pour on product, Butox SWISH, has also been shown to be effective at killing midges on treated cattle for up to 4 weeks, and other insecticides may have some effect. However preventing all midge bites is virtually impossible, so vaccination is the key method that can prevent disease spread.
