Animal diseases: the State makes more vaccines available to sheep, ewes and cattle breeders

Marc Fesneau, le ministre de l'agriculture. MAXPPP – Alexis Sciard

In an attempt to stem the outbreak of diseases affecting sheep, ewes and cattle in France, the State will order several million additional vaccines and make them available free of charge to farmers, the resigning Minister of Agriculture Marc Fesneau announced on Friday.

The number of outbreaks of bluetongue serotype 3 has practically doubled in one week, rising to 342 confirmed outbreaks as of August 29, according to a new report on this disease that has been spreading rapidly since it was first detected in early August in northern France.

With cases having been detected in Saône-et-Loire and Orne, “the area is being expanded”in which vaccines are provided free of charge to farmers, “because we are in a race against time”, the minister announced during a trip to Fangy in Saône-et-Loire.

The zone now concerns “70% of the departments”, he specified, and extends to the Rhône-Alpes region in the south and the Pays-de-la-Loire region in the west.

14 million euros disbursed

The government will disburse 14 million euros for 5.3 million additional doses, in addition to the 6.4 million doses already ordered.

The Ministry of Agriculture also recalls in a press release that all breeders are encouraged to test their animals in the event of suspicion of bluetongue of all serotypes, the costs of the tests and the veterinary visit being covered by the State throughout the country.

Before the appearance of FCO 3, French breeders had been dealing with FCO serotypes 4 and 8 for several years.

FCO 8 has seen a resurgence in activity in recent weeks in the south of the country. A vaccine, different from that against FCO 3, exists and was supported by the State from 2008 to 2018 but is no longer supported for this epizootic, now considered endemic in France.

The minister also announced the order of two million doses of a vaccine that had just been approved against epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD), a distinct epizootic that particularly affects cattle in the southwest of the country.

First detected in September 2023 in France and dormant in livestock farms this spring, it has resurfaced in recent weeks.

These vaccines, which will protect one million of cattle, will also be free but distributed “according to a vaccination strategy that will be developed quickly in consultation with the sectors”, specifies the ministry.

The detection of these diseases does not lead to the slaughter of the animals, unlike avian flu. They are not transmissible to humans but can weaken herds, be fatal to pregnant young and, in some cases, lead to the death of the animals.