Help control midges that spread bluetongue with Butox® SWISH
With the threat of bluetongue reaching the UK this summer, choosing the correct
fly control product could be a critical decision. Intervet’s large animal veterinary
manager, Alasdair King, says that Butox SWISH, which has been the popular
choice of farmers controlling biting and nuisance flies on farm, is also licensed to
help control all types of midges responsible for spreading and transmitting
bluetongue to cattle and sheep.
Following a number of well-reported outbreaks in mainland Europe last summer
and the unseasonably warm winter, there remains a good chance that diseasecarrying adult midges will have over-wintered, making them capable of infecting
both cattle and sheep as temperatures start to increase. In addition, there have
been 97 new cases of bluetongue identified in western Europe, including Holland
and France, since January 2007. Favourable weather conditions could easily
see infected midges transported to the southernmost counties of the UK this
summer.
Without vaccines, the only option for controlling bluetongue is by managing the
risk, and reducing the number of midges feeding on groups of cattle will help to
do so.
“If an infected midge bites a cow treated with Butox SWISH it will die,” explains
Mr King. “While this midge may already have transmitted the disease to the
animal it has just bitten, fortunately it will not be able to pass the disease on to
any more cattle in the herd. Any further midges landing on the cow will die
before they can spread disease to other cattle.
“If an infected midge bites a cow that has no fly protection, it is still able to move
to other animals and infect them,” Mr King continues. “New midges landing on
the cow will also become infected and spread the disease further.”
Bluetongue is spread by certain species of midge and their ability to transmit the
disease is temperature dependent. If Europe were to experience temperatures
similar to last year’s, then the proportion of the midge population capable of
transmitting the virus is likely to increase dramatically. In hot weather (>30oC),
15 per cent of the UK’s most predominant midge species will be capable of
carrying the disease, compared to less than one per cent at lower temperatures.
Predicting whether or not bluetongue will reach the UK is a topic that will
continue to receive much discussion. However, choosing Butox SWISH to
control midges this summer will reduce the number that could be carrying the
bluetongue virus and help prevent spread of the disease.
Ends
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