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Schmallenberg Virus Confirmed on Farms in the UK
from the Guardian (UK)
A mysterious virus that causes abortions and birth deformities in farm animals including sheep and cattle has been confirmed in the UK. Four sheep farms in Norfolk, Suffolk and East Sussex are known to be harbouring the disease, which is believed to be transmitted by midges.
The microbe has been given the provisional name Schmallenberg virus and first surfaced in the Netherlands and Germany in August 2011. Since then, hundreds of farms across those countries and Belgium have been affected. The disease is difficult to detect in adult animals and only becomes apparent after affected livestock give birth. There is no treatment or vaccine for the newly emerged disease.
The government's Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) in Weybridge, which conducted the laboratory tests confirming that Schmallenberg virus is now in the UK, said in a statement: "Although there are still some uncertainties, the risk to human health from Schmallenberg virus is likely to be very low."
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