Devon farmer says bluetongue outbreak left her feeling isolated

A Devon farmer has described feeling “so alone” as suspected bluetongue spread through her sheep, with 92 positive cases recorded in England by the end of July.

A Devon farmer has described feeling "so alone" when her sheep started to fall ill with suspected bluetongue. Latest government figures show 92 positive bluetongue cases in England to the end of July this year, with most in cows and sheep in south-west England and farmers fearing there will be more.

Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin, who farms in Torridge, Devon, said

"we didn't know what was going on"

at first and

"we put it down to the heat and the heatwave and thought that was why the animals were being a bit lethargic"

The Animal and Plant Health Agency urged livestock owners to remain vigilant and report any suspicion of cases, and also vaccinate animals. The virus affects sheep, cattle, deer, goats, llamas and alpacas, according to the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), and can rarely affect dogs and other carnivores if they eat infected material such as afterbirth.

Defra said it did not affect people or food safety, but outbreaks could result in prolonged animal movement and trade restrictions. In sheep, symptoms include ulcers or sores in the mouth and nose, discharge from the eyes or nose, and swelling of the lips, tongue, head and neck.

Symptoms for cows include lethargy, crusty erosions around the nostrils and muzzle, redness of the mouth, eyes, nose, milk drop and abortions, Defra said. A llama in Devon was also one of the cases recorded, Defra added, as well as sheep and cows in Devon and Cornwall.

Cottle-Hunkin is also a councillor and said she wanted to draw attention to the cases and how the virus was

"hitting us hard in Devon"

. She believed she had lost eight animals to the virus, she added.

She said the virus, spread by biting midges, could also have a

"knock-on effect"

on livestock's fertility next year. She also said she was now

"worried to go out and check"

on the animals as she dreaded seeing sick sheep.

"You feel so alone because you don't know what's going on,"

she said.

She said she also thought vaccinating livestock against bluetongue would be a regular

"thing of the future"

What's happening on farms in Cornwall and Devon?

Farmer Adrian Parsons, from Launceston, Cornwall, who is also a local councillor, said:

"It's not much fun going out and seeing your sheep at the moment."

He said he suspected he had cases on his farm but had not yet had the results.

"You go out every day and you do not know what you'll find. I might find a dead sheep,"

he said. He described seeing sheep

"lying around under the trees"

and feeling

"something's not right"

Ian May, who is regional representative for the National Sheep Association, said there was huge demand for vaccination but supplies were

"good"

. He recently spent three days vaccinating the flock on his north Devon farm, saying it was an added cost for farmers.

"Symptoms can be quite variable as well,"

he warned. He also said sheep were already stressed by the recent heatwaves and the resulting lack of grass, and they found vaccinations stressful too.

"Sheep like being left out on a nice green field,"

he said.

He also said there were local and national organisations available to support farmers, including the Exmoor Hill Farming Network, the Dartmoor Hill Farm Project, the Farming Community Network, plus the England and Wales farmers' charity RABI.

A farmer in a blue top and trousers and wearing wellies stands near a flock of more than 30 sheep. There is a fence and a hedge to their right and a re motorised vehicle to the left. The head of a black and white dog can just be spotted in the vehicle. — Image caption, Sheep are already feeling the effects of the heatwave, Adrian Parsons said

Why are there more cases now?

A spokesperson for the Animal and Plant Health Agency said the virus was circulating

"particularly in south-west England and parts of Wales"

"The recent period of hot and humid weather has been favourable for midge populations, which has likely contributed to increased numbers of cases in cattle and particularly sheep,"

they said.

The agency urged livestock owners to remain vigilant and report any suspicion of disease to them, and to talk to their vets about vaccination

"as this is the most effective way of protecting their animals"

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