Italy reported bluetongue outbreaks in sheep, cattle and a camel, WOAH says

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PARIS (Reuters) – Italy has reported outbreaks of bluetongue disease in sheep, cattle and a camel, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) said on Wednesday, but the variant is different from the one that has been spreading fast in northern Europe.

Bluetongue can be deadly for domestic ruminants, mostly sheep, cattle and goats. A new variant of the disease, the BTV3 virus, has been circulating in northern Europe since late last year, leading to widespread vaccination campaigns in affected countries, including France.

Italy reported outbreaks of BTV8 in a camel as well as cases in six sheep and 4,540 cattle, most of which were located on the island of Sardinia, the WOAH said, citing Italian authorities.