Anses Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire Alimentation Environnement Travail

Bluetongue is a viral infection spread from an infected animal to another by a species of biting midge, called culicoides (arbovirosis). It manifests particularly in sheep, but may also affect cattle, goats and other wild ruminant animals. Bluetongue only affects animals. It does not affect humans and has no impact on food safety at all. Causing growth retardation in affected animals, death in some and abortions in infected females, this disease incurs major economic losses for breeders.

The virus responsible for the disease is an Orbivirus from the Reoviridae family, of which there are 24 different types called serotypes. These are differentiated by their antigen properties, i.e. their capacity to be recognised by a specific antibody.

Originating in Africa and Turkey, the disease has been spreading northwards for several decades now, probably aided by global warming (which is not the case for serotype 8). Indeed, the development and spread of this disease are closely tied in with the presence of culicoides populations, the vectors of the disease, whose development is aided by mild temperatures. After an incursion in the south of Spain and Portugal in the late 1950s, it returned to the Mediterranean basin in 1998 before affecting Italy and France (Corsica).

The context: a major epizootic in north-west Europe

In 2006, a bluetongue epizootic caused by serotype 8 spread through north-west Europe. It was the first bluetongue epizootic to be documented in north Europe and the first circulation of the virus serotype 8 identified on the continent. Five countries were affected: Germany, Belgium, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. In total, around 2,000 outbreaks were notified in 2006, including six in France. The last outbreaks were notified in mid December 2006.
A massive resurgence of the epizootic was observed from the beginning of July 2007. By the end of December 2007, nine countries had been infected (Germany, Belgium, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the Czech Republic). Over 50,000 outbreaks have been notified, including some 20,000 in France. With few outbreaks in summer 2006, France was heavily struck by the epizootic in 2007. At the end of 2007, four-fifths of French territory were affected.

An emergency plan against bluetongue

Given the scope of the epizootic to which breeders are exposed, Afssa, together with the French Animal Health Network (RFSA) (mirror group for the European technology platform for global animal health), considered it necessary and urgent to conduct other operational research and studies in order to respond to the needs of the industries facing this serious health crisis and to the risk manager as swiftly as possible. In accordance with its mission to instigate research and mobilise public and private research and development organisations, the State asked Afssa to coordinate the implementation of this programme, based on effective partnerships between research institutes, higher education establishments, professional organisations and breeding institutes. This programme (bluetongue programme), funded mainly by the Directorate General for Food (DGAI), will be carried out by national teams and European partnerships.

May 2008