Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the potential for bluetongue to transfer to calves in utero from infected cows.
Answer
The most recent assessment on ““in-utero”” infection in calves was done following the discovery of Bluetongue Serotype 8 (BTV8) infected calves in Northern Ireland in February 2007 which were born to recently imported cattle (““Menzies et al 2008, Vet record, 163, 203-209””) and the finding that some English cows infected in 2007 also transmitted the virus to their calves. These findings prompted new legislation to be brought forward at EU level on the export of pregnant cattle and resulted in the UK testing all calves born to imported cattle for evidence of BTV 8 infection. This is still subject to further investigation and research at the Institute for Animal Health in Pirbright, and elsewhere in mainland Europe.As yet, there is no evidence in Europe of such ““in-utero”” transfer of BTV1 virus.