There was recently a case of a BTV-1 infected animal being imported. Why did the Government require the BTV-1 animals to be slaughtered?
The five animals that tested positive for BTV1 were culled under the Animals and Animal Products (Import and Export) (England) Regulations 2006. The decision was taken by the Deputy CVO taking into account the epidemiological circumstances and the veterinary risk assessment of the infected case and taking note of the views of experts and stakeholder partners. The sixth animal which tested positive for Bluetongue, but of an undetermined serotype at the time, was culled as a precautionary measure based on the evidence available at the time. Subsequent testing has shown the animal to be BTV-8 positive but BTV-1 negative on further sero-specific PCR testing.
