22 March '10

Update Q-fever 22 March 2010
Ministers Verburg (LNV) and Klink (VWS have sent a letter to the Parliament today to inform the MPs about the latest Q-fever information.
In this news letter you find the main issues in the letter.
Adapting the measures
The most important issue is the 'continuation strategy for Q-fever control'. This strategy contains the requirements and a preliminary planning for adjusting the current measures. The adjustments are substantiated by the latest experts' advice. Click here rivm_5_march_10

25-26 February '10

The Ministry of Agriculture has organised a conference on Q-fever for scientists and stakeholders. The aim was to join forces and collect as much information as possible. Click here for the report: conference_on_q-fever_25-26.2.2010

For the presentations in pdf please click here .

17 January '10

The minister has sent another update letter to Parliament, as a response to various questions and motions.

One of the motions was to vaccinate ALL goats and sheep htis year. The minister promised to search for more doses of vaccines, because the ordered batch of 1,5 million doses will only cover the group of animals regarding compulsory vaccination (all dairy goat and sheep farms (>50) and all petting farms and other farms with a public function. But there will not be enough to vaccinate the animals at meat sheep farms, and hobby held (breeding) animals.

The minister asked the CVI to test the Merial bi-vaccine (Q-fever combined with Chlamydophila), but apparently this vaccine does not have sufficient effectivity on goats and sheep. CEVA, the French producer of the current vaccine, cannot deliver more.

Below is a translated abstract of the letter to Parliament. attached to this letter is a CVI report on account of the various doubts uttered lately about the reliability of the PCR-tests. CLICK  cvi_07022010en for the translated version.

26 January '10

The Dutch Municipalities' Association (VNG) has requested from the Minister of Public Health to give them the authority to decide whether the pregnant animals kept at city farms and/or by hobby holders should be killed as well when they prove to be infected.

The Dutch hobby holders' organisations have in return pleaded with the minister not to give the Mayors that authority. And fortunately he has not done so. That authority will remain with the Minister of Agriculture.

The Ministers have announced this and two further measures regarding Q-fever control in a letter to Parliament today.