Five hundred more outbreaks in just one week , another 30 thousand infected sheep and 25 thousand dead animals . The Bluetongue virus is running fast across the island , happily carried by the vector insect, reinvigorated by the warm and humid climate of this autumn. « Between September and mid-October we should have reached the peak of the epidemic , at least this is what we expect taking into account the data from the historical series», is the hope of the Agriculture Councillor Gianfranco Satta .
In the meantime, as far as we can - when the farmers allow it - we continue to vaccinate the animals, while the day before yesterday in the Regional Council a motion was unanimously voted (but, for now, it is worth a note on the agenda) that calls for the need to increase compensation and indemnities for farmers who have suffered damages (without making them wait years to see the money), as well as the need to bolster the staff of veterinarians involved in the emergency, so few and overworked that they risk exhaustion.
Meanwhile, the map of the Zooprophylactic Institute of Sardinia, updated yesterday on the number and location of the outbreaks (i.e. the affected companies), highlights the spread towards the south of the serotype 8 of the virus, until a week ago present in the north-east of the island and between Ottana and Ghilarza; while the serotype 3 (for which there is still no vaccine), widespread throughout the south of the region, is taking the opposite path, going up towards the center-north. In the middle, the Oristano and Medio Campidano areas are where what was feared is happening, that is, the spread of the serotype 8 which, a source explained, "if it were to reach the Cagliari area it would cause a massacre".
Meanwhile, the farmers tell their daily drama: " Every morning we count the dead animals ." And they launch an appeal: " Support us ."
In the video, from the 1.30pm edition of today's Videolina news, the words of Michela Dessì, an agricultural entrepreneur from Arbus.
