The dead sheep are already more than 17 thousand, the fear is that the figure will exceed 20 thousand. Due to two serotypes of the blue tongue. The 8, more widespread in the north of the island, for which there is a vaccine, and the 3 in the rest of the territory, for which the immunization serum is not yet commercially available. The shepherds can only hope for the cold, according to what emerged during the joint session of the Health and Agriculture commissions of the Regional Council: for the Health Councilor, Armando Bartolazzi (heard with his colleague in the Council with responsibility for rural activities, Gian Franco Satta) "only with the drop in temperatures below 15 degrees, and with the consequent lack of spread of the culicoides, will there be a reduction in infections". In short: the insect vector can currently only be fought with low temperatures, when they arrive.
The Health Director of the Todde Council correlated what - in his opinion - was the early manifestation of the disease with climate change and retraced the times and methods of purchasing supplies for the ongoing vaccination campaign against serotype 8 (resolution approved on 22 December 2023, tender award on 12 April 2024, supply order on 19 April 2024).
According to Councilor Bartolazzi , the department's stocks will allow, for next year, to start the vaccination campaign against serotype 8 by March, but it will also be necessary to act, together with the prevention measures against the vector insect, especially on the epidemiology front. Making known the data in real time on the evolution of the disease with the respective classification levels of the virus, so as to allow timely, rapid and effective strategies and interventions
The Agriculture Councilor, Gianfranco Satta, did not hide his concern for the damage that the new Blue Tongue epidemic is causing in sheep breeding companies and estimated the losses at over 20,000 heads, which have already exceeded 17,000 units. "We are working," Satta said, "to raise the value of the compensation to 300 euros per head, while for the lost production we hypothesize a compensation of 20 euros per head."
Instead, the resources earmarked to reimburse the costs incurred by farmers for the purchase of insecticides, necessary for the fight against Culicoides, amount to 700 thousand euros. The overall estimated amount for compensation amounts to 10 million euros.
Prompted by questions posed by councilors Rubiu (Fdi), Maieli (Fi), Corrado Meloni (Fdi), Casula (Sf) and Canu (Sf), the Health and Agriculture councilors reassured on the correct activation of the so-called "sentinel animals" and on the request made to the Ministry of Health to allow the Zooprophylactic Institute of Sardinia to certify the classification of the virus, so as not to wait for the results of the Izs of Teramo (national reference center for exotic animal diseases).
(Unioneonline/E.Fr.)