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By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 3:20 PM on 26th February 2012

Urgent tests are under way to see if a killer virus which is threatening to wipe out lambs in Britain's meadows this spring poses a threat to humans.

Experts think the Schmallenburg Virus has spread into Britain from Europe by infected midges which swarmed across the North Sea last summer and autumn.

At present, a Europe-wide assessment has concluded that it is unlikely to cause illness in people.

Deadly: Farmers fear Schmallenberg disease will spread across the country

However, as it is a new virus, work is on-going to identify whether it could cause any health problems to people. 

Catherine McLaughlin, National Farmers' Union animal health and welfare adviser, said: 'This is still a relatively new virus, it is a developing situation and it's difficult to predict the scale of the problems.

 

'We are continuing to work closely with colleagues at the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency and the UK and EU scientific communities to learn as much as quickly as possible.'

The winter weather has stopped any more midges making the sea crossing, but it is feared that once spring arrives and it gets warmer, the disease will increase its grip on the UK.

Meanwhile in another alarming development, cattle have also been infected, meaning there could be an even bigger impact on meat prices on supermarket shelves.

The Schmallenberg virus has spread to cattle sparking fears for livestock

In sheep flocks it causes birth defects in lambs including deformation of the head, neck and limbs, as well as blindness, and can also cause pregnant ewes to lose their offspring. 

News that British cattle herds are also showing traces of the disease will send shudders through the UK livestock industry.

The disease originated in Germany, where it has been blamed for the deaths of up to a quarter of lambs in almost 150 stricken flocks since it was identified last November.

Farmers are seeing lambs's limbs fused together and joints that don't work

Schmallenburg has yet to been made a notifiable disease, and development of a vaccine may be up to two years away.

It is already being reported on farms in East Anglia and South East England - in Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Kent, East Sussex and Hertfordshire.
Cases have also been reported in the West Country.

With the main lambing and calving season about to start, there are fears it will spread across the UK and hit the farming and meat industries.

Other affected countries have also detected the virus in cattle.

AREAS AFFECTED IN UK

Norfolk, East Sussex, Suffolk

Kent, West Sussex, Essex

Hertfordshire, Cornwall

Gloucestershire, Hampshire

Isle of Wight, Surrey, 

West Berkshire, Wiltshire

Ian Johnson, National Farmers' Union spokesman in the South West of England, urged farmers to be extra-vigilant for signs of the disease and take all sensible precautions to prevent infection.

He said: 'Cases on the continent have shown that the virus causes significant health problems for the animals with infection, resulting in still-born or deformed young.

'So any unusual symptoms, or abortions, should be reported to the local vet, or to the animal health office. 

'If farmers are considering importing from the affected parts of continental Europe, we would strongly recommend that they discuss their plans with their vet first to reduce the risk of buying in the virus.'

Schmallenburg is the latest animal disease to spread to England from continental Europe. 

Four years ago Blue Tongue Disease caused havoc among sheep flocks and cattle herds, having spread to Northern Europe from the Mediterranean, carried by midges.

The farming industry itself took over the control campaign in a rolling programme of vaccination, which effectively eliminated it.

There are now confirmed Schmallenberg cases in five EU member states, with Germany worst affected, where 150 sheep farms have produced positive tests.

The Netherlands has identified it on three cattle farms, 84 sheep farms and four goat farms.

Belgium has reported finding virus-positive lambs with congenital deformities on 61 premises in several regions, and also a six-month calf foetus where the herd had reported a slump in milk yields and three cattle subsequently tested positive for the virus.

In France, 'high risk zones' which includes Alsace, Lorraine, Nor Pas de Calais, Picardie, Champagne Ardennes, remain in place and there have been 13 reports of virus identified.

Defra says there are likely to be further cases as the lambing season continues and as calving starts. 

It has been agreed with the World Organisation for Animal Health that its disease reporting requirements will not divulge which farms are affected.

The Health Protection Agency has more information on its website.

 

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Virus kills lambs in Britain amid fears disease could spread to humans