Buddusò, Bitti, and Orgosolo: these are the Sardinian towns that in recent days have been added to the list of those where an outbreak of lumpy skin disease has been recorded among cattle . This brings the total number of cases since the beginning of the epidemic to 62, although the number of cases considered extinct is also increasing: the cattle, in these cases, have all been culled. 907 animals have been killed so far, while 117 have been killed by the disease. A total of 2,656 animals have been affected.
Of concern is the fact that in the three towns added to the list, not a single case has been recorded so far. And this is happening while a massive vaccination campaign is underway. "It needs to be intensified in those municipalities and nearby areas: it's essential and extremely urgent," warns Alberto Laddomada, former head of the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute, head of the task force that eradicated swine fever in Sardinia, and who is closely monitoring the disease's progression.
Meanwhile, bluetongue outbreaks among sheep are also increasing on the island. The numbers aren't yet high-alert, but the increase is tangible.
The first case of this new wave was confirmed in the first week of July in Onanì. From there, bluetongue spread: 15 outbreaks that month, 56 the following month, and already 22 confirmed in September. For now, only the northwest and southwest appear to be "free" (with the exception of Teulada).