January 2010

The Q-fever epidemic in the Netherlands seems to be unique in the world. Never before have so many people become ill with this disease. What is the reason? The experts are still looking for an answer, although to many it is clear that the expansion of the dairy goat industry in a period of 10 years (from '99 to '09) is mainly the cause of the enormous quantities of bacteria spread throughout the country.

With the past two dry summers, the bacteria were easily blown through the air and inhaled by thousands of people. Most of whom did not get any symptoms at all, some got ill, a few seriously ill and 6 people (already weakened by other ailments) died.

Q-fever has always been in the environment all around the world. From time to time small outbreaks among humans occur, but usually do not last long. Goats (and sheep) can carry the infection without any symptoms, other than abortion when pregnant. Infected pregnant animals shed billions of bacteria during an abortion but also during a full-borne partus. So the real danger lies with the pregnant animals.
That is why now that the situation has grown serious, after 3 years with a growing number of patients, the government has decided to kill all pregnant animals at contaminated farms.

To read more detailed information go to the Q-fever section on this site and also see the excellent site of Warmwell.com

11 November '09

On 10 Novenber '09 AWSELVA (Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law Veterinary Association) organised a conference on 'The Impact of Policy Changes on Animal Welfare'.
Two ELA (European Livestock Association) members, Sheila Crispin, ophthalmology professor, and Christine Bijl, ELA Secretary, were present.

Read the report_awselva_meeting_nov09 

30 March '09

More organisations, like NBvH and ELA, are working together to tackle the various existing and emerging animal diseases. In the UK all horse organisations and some scientists are working together with Defra to create the UK contingency plan for African Horse Sickness. The work group also invited two ELA members to present their views.
For the latest news on AHS read more at Diseases.

27 April '09

A virus circulating in Mexico and the USA and involving person to person transmission appears to cause in some cases severe affections in certain people infected by this virus. There is no evidence that this virus is transmitted by food.
It is not a classical human influenza virus called seasonal influenza, which causes every year millions of human cases of influenza worldwide but a virus which includes in its characteristics swine, avian and human virus components.

NBvH (Dutch Hobby and small-scale holders Association) insists on extra measures against animal transports

Now that BTV 1 is imported into the Netherlands it is clear that extra measures are urgently needed. Measures already taken against importing animal diseases are apparently insufficient. The inspection authorities are always one step behind or cannot get a grip on the complicated networks of trade contacts and transport movements. NBvH therefore urges the Ministry of Agriculture (LNV) and Parliament to step in.