AN INFORMATION meeting on Schmallenberg, the new disease that can have devastating impacts on farm income, is being held in the Woodlands Hotel, Adare on Wednesday June 19 at 7.30pm.
The Schmallenberg virus, which is spread by midges, can cause abortions and deformities in calves and lambs.
Organised by MSD Animal Health, the meeting will be addressed by veterinary practitioners, representatives from the Department of Agriculture’s regional veterinary laboratories, farmers and MSD veterinary specialists and will focus on the incidence, clinical signs and prevention of the disease.
The Adare meeting is one of five being held nationally following the granting this week of a license to MSD Animal Health to market the new Schmallenberg vaccine in Ireland,
Supplies of the new vaccine will be available before the end of June. It is the first commercially available vaccine against the disease which has spread rapidly across Europe since it was first identified in Schmallenberg in Germany in late 2011.
The critical risk period for cows is between days 40 and 140 of pregnancy and for sheep between days 20 and 80 of pregnancy. Midges are active between April and November.
In the UK, the first case was identified in the south east of England in early 2012 and by the end of March last it was identified in around 1,800 farms across all counties of England and Wales. It has caused losses of up to 50% of lambs in the worst affected farms.
The disease was first identified in Ireland in October 2012 and has so far been largely confined to farms in the south and east. Based on the experience in the UK and other EU countries, it is likely that Schmallenberg will spread nationwide.
Farmers unable to attend the Adare meeting have the option of attending a similar meeting in Corrin Mart, Fermoy on Thursday 20 June, also starting at 7.30pm.
