Science Media Centre

A new livestock virus spreading across Europe and panicking farmers in the Norther Hemisphere is unlikely to reach New Zealand shores. The Schmallenberg virus, named after German region where the its was first detected, causes fetal congenital malformations and stillbirths in cattle, sheep, and goats. Spread by the Culicoides midge species, the virus was first identified [...]

This fact sheet was produced by the SMC UK to give journalists a background on the Schmallenberg virus currently affecting livestock in the UK and Europe. Background Schmallenberg virus, aka SBV, is an emerging livestock disease that has been detected in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the UK. Outbreaks of disease in [...]