EXCLUSIVE by Ewan Pate, farming editor

FEARS WERE growing last night that Scotland’s farming community could be facing an outbreak of the bluetongue virus.

Reliable sources informed The Courier of two separate developments.

Firstly it is understood that a pedigree bull is en-route from one of the disease hotspots in France to a farm in Aberdeenshire.

In the second development six recently imported animals have been reported as showing symptoms on a farm in Northumberland. The results of blood tests are expected today.

Everyone will be hoping that they are negative but if they are not the implications for Scotland could be immediate.

The expected arrival of the animal from France is in spite of desperate calls from NFU Scotland and every other responsible representative body begging farmers not to import animals from the areas of continental Europe where the disease is rife.

Apparently the animal has been vaccinated against serotype eight of the bluetongue virus, the strain which has been striking down sheep, cattle and goats in France, Belgium, Holland and parts of Germany.

But worryingly the animal has come from an area of France where serotype one, a newer strain, is spreading.

The Scottish Government has material in stock to start a compulsory vaccination programme to combat serotype eight but there is no protection available against serotype one and the consequences of an outbreak in Scotland would be nigh on catastrophic.

Moves are believed to be under way to find out where the animal is on its journey and to ascertain whether it can legally be turned back.

Chief vet Professor Charles Milne might have no option but to declare Scotland an official bluetongue protection zone (PZ), a status already accorded to the whole of England.

All live exports of cattle sheep and goats to countries such as Ireland, which are disease free, would stop with serious economic implications.

Earlier this month a PZ was declared to cover the whole of Wales following confirmation of a number of cases of the disease in imported cattle in Devon.

Bluetongue disease is spread by a species of midge and is most commonly seen in the late summer and autumn. It is non-contagious and although ruminants, including cattle, goat and deer can catch it, sheep are usually the worst affected.

Symptoms of the disease include a high fever, excessive salivation, swelling of the head and neck, lameness and sometimes discolouration of the tongue.

According to the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), in some susceptible breeds of sheep up to 70% of a flock can die from the virus. Animals that survive the disease can suffer long-term damage, such as a reduction in meat and wool production.

The virus does not affect humans.