News

Outbreaks of pancreas disease, PD, cause large economic losses for the salmonid farming industry in northern Europe. The geographical area in which PD occurs in Norway has increased significantly in recent years. A research project with the aim of investigating how the causal virus, SAV, is dispersed within and between sites, was recently started. The

Analyses of new bulk milk samples has revealed four new herds that needs to be followed up with blood sample analyses. The National Veterinary Institute presented the results for the Norwegian Food Safety Authorities wednesday evening.

The National Veterinary Institute produces maps on the status of the bluetongue outbreak in the southern Norway. The maps are updated regularly on the status of samples and analyses.

The National Veterinary institute has recieved new bulk milk samples from milk herds within the restriction sones today. The samples are being analysed for antibodies against Bluetongue. Several new milk- and blood samples are expected the following days.

The laboratories at the National Veterinary Institute are ready for large amounts of samples from herds of cattle and small ruminants within the restriction sones. The Norwegian Food Safety Authorities will collect samples from hundreds of herds, that will be analysed by ELISA and PCR. A map over the different restriction sones is available.

The animal disease bluetongue has been detected in Norway for the first time, by the National Veterinary Institute (NVI) in Norway. Through a surveillance program for blutongue seropositive animals was found in two cattle herds in the southern part of Norway (county Vest-Agder). The results has been confirmed with PCR tests. Due to winter conditions, when the insect vector is not present, there is no risk of spreading the disesease to other herds. The veterinary authorities follow the situation closely, and all herds within the security sones will be tested for the disease.

The disease tick-borne fever gives influenza-like symptoms in sheep and cattle. A factsheet on the disease is presented in Norwegian.

A local Norwegian newspaper "Asker og Bærum Budstikke", reports on a disease observed in small wild birds. The signs of disease is quite typical for avian pox. The lesions are typically found in the less feathered regions of the body. Avian pox virus in not known to infect humans.

As the zoonotic disease Q-fever has recieved increasing attention in Europeic countries, the Norwegian organisations KOORIMP and TINE, together with the National Veterinary institute, initiated an survey for antibodies against the Q-fever agent Coxiella burnetii in milk and blood samples from selected norwegian herds. All of the samples from 470 herds of dairy cows and 55 suckling cow herds were negative.

Researchers form the National Veterinary Institute have presented new research from a multitude of areas, as diseases, disease agens, epidemiologi, vectors and animal welfare at the biennial meeting on production animal reserch. The norwegian text gives short summaries of the presentations.