Tongue turns blue and death... 5 cases in 2 weeks, UK on alert for 'Cheongseolbyeong'

Five Cases of Variant 'Cheongseolbyeong' Reported in One Month

Blue-Tongue Disease, a livestock disease that causes the tongues of cattle and sheep to turn bluish-black and can lead to death in severe cases, has triggered an alert in the UK after five cases were reported within a month.

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According to major foreign media reports on the 26th (local time), five cases of Blue-Tongue Disease, a viral infectious disease affecting cattle and sheep, were confirmed at three farms in the Kent area of the UK within two weeks. Moreover, this outbreak includes a variant strain of the virus, prompting the UK government to issue special warnings.

Christine Middlemiss, the UK's Chief Veterinary Officer, stated, "We have announced the main genotypes and key symptoms of Blue-Tongue Disease to livestock farms, but the discovery of a new variant of the Blue-Tongue virus has increased concerns." According to the UK government, the southern and eastern coasts of the UK are currently identified as the highest risk areas.

The UK government is currently imposing livestock movement restrictions in confirmed Blue-Tongue infection zones. Livestock that test positive for Blue-Tongue, those transported in the same vehicle, or those at risk of infection may be culled. However, it is known that no compensation is provided for culled livestock.

Cattle infected with Blue-Tongue Disease exhibit symptoms such as coma, stiffness around the nostrils and muzzle, redness of the mouth, eyes, and nose, redness of the skin above the hooves, nasal discharge, redness and wounds on the teats, fever, loss of appetite, and stillbirths.

In particular, if a pregnant cow is infected, there is a high possibility that the calf will be born with deformities, weakness, or blindness, and many calves die within a few days after birth.

Blue-Tongue Disease originated in South Africa but first broke out in the Netherlands and Belgium in 2006, then spread throughout the UK and Europe, resulting in the death of 2 million cattle and sheep in Europe alone by 2007. In 2021, 900 cattle exported by ship from Spain to T?rkiye were found to be infected with Blue-Tongue Disease, causing the ship to be unable to dock for over two months, drifting in the Mediterranean Sea, and ultimately leading to the culling of all cattle on board.

Climate change is cited as the reason for the spread of the Blue-Tongue virus, which originated in South Africa, to Europe. The biting midges that transmit the Blue-Tongue virus were introduced, and since the virus cannot replicate below 15℃, global warming has created warmer conditions that allowed the virus to survive and spread.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.