Moredun to provide screening for SBV in Scotland
Scientists from Moredun Research Institute near Edinburgh have announced that they will be screening all suspect cases of Schmallenberg virus (SBV) found in Scotland. Specialist researchers from Moredun’s virus surveillance unit will perform the diagnostic real time PCR, whilst highly trained veterinary pathologists at Moredun will examine samples of potentially affected fetuses submitted via SAC Disease Surveillance centres.
Dr Kim Willoughby, head of the virus surveillance unit at Moredun commented, “I am very pleased that the PCR test for Schmallenberg virus used in other European countries is now available at Moredun, thanks to a collaboration with the Freidrich Loeffler Institute in Germany. This will allow prompt testing of suspected cases detected in Scotland.”
Clinical symptoms of infection with SBV in adult dairy cattle include fever and milk drop. Some animals may develop diarrhoea though most clinical signs are mild and disappear after a few days. No clinical signs are reported in adult sheep. The most important effect of infection appears to be in pregnant animals, where there may be abortion or damage to the developing foetus causing brain and limb deformities, newborn lambs, kids or calves.
Dr Willoughby from Moredun encouraged farmers and vets to be vigilant to the signs of disease caused by SBV as the lambing season approaches. She said, “Farmers or veterinary surgeons in Scotland with suspected cases should contact their local SAC centre in the first instance so that suitable cases can be assessed and the appropriate tissue samples forwarded to Moredun for testing if necessary.”
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
