Information on the "Schmallenberg Virus"

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The cases to date have mainly occurred in the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, Hesse and Schleswig-Holstein, but other federal states have also been affected. The Netherlands, Belgium, Great Britain and France have also reported cases of the Schmallenberg virus, mostly in sheep.

Disease agent identified for the first time in November 2011

In the Netherlands in the summer of 2011, animals were observed to be suffering from a disease which was at first taken to be a new outbreak of bluetongue disease. When comparable cases were observed in Germany in late autumn, the Friedrich Loeffler Institute, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health (FLI), set to work to identify the disease agent; it was finally identified for the first time in November 2011. The virus belongs to the Simbu serogroup of the Orthobunya viruses. The pathogen is also referred to as "Schmallenberg virus" as the virus was successfully isolated for the first time in samples taken from animals from Schmallenberg (North Rhine-Westphalia). Orthobunya viruses, which are common in cattle in Australia, Asia and Africa, are transmitted via blood-sucking midges (insects).

The Schmallenberg virus can affect cattle, sheep and goats. Adult animals display only mild symptoms. However, infections of pregnant animals may lead to delayed symptoms, namely fertility disorders, premature births and in some cases severe deformation of new-born animals. Some lambs have, for example, been born with severe deformities in Germany in recent weeks. It remains to be seen how the disease will affect calves from February onwards, i.e. during the first calvings after a possible infection last summer. Given that the FLI findings so far indicate that the virus is not transmitted from animal to animal but by midge bites, we do not expect any new infections to occur at present. The deformities in new-born animals observed so far are due to infections last year.

No health risk to humans

Based on current evidence, the Schmallenberg virus does not pose a health risk to humans. The viruses that are relevant for animals generally do not pose any risk to humans unless they are zoonotic agents. Researchers believe that, because the Schmallenberg virus is related to the Shamonda, Aino und Akabane viruses, the virus does not present a risk to humans. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has issued a corresponding risk assessment.

Risk assessment by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control

Development of a vaccine

The FLI is currently working at full stretch on further research on this virus, which is new in our part of the world, and on developing a vaccine. The detection method developed at the FLI has been made available to institutions in Belgium, France, England, the Netherlands, Italy and elsewhere. It remains unclear whether this exotic virus has been newly introduced or whether Orthobunya viruses have been present in ruminants in Europe for some time. It is therefore necessary to conduct additional research to further assess this virus detection.

Orthobunya viruses in cattle are common in Australia, Asia and Africa where they usually cause very mild diseases at first. However, infections of pregnant animals may cause delayed symptoms, namely congenital deformation, in some cases very severe, as well as premature births and fertility disorders. Viruses similar to akabane are primarily transmitted by blood-sucking midges.

Introduction of a reporting requirement

The Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV) will introduce an official reporting requirement for this animal disease now that the "Schmallenberg virus" is occurring in a growing number of Länder. The Bundesrat (Upper House of Parliament) will decide on the necessary amendment of the Ordinance on Notifiable Animal Diseases at the end of March. The reporting obligation will then be able to officially come into force. The reporting requirement makes it compulsory for the heads of inspection authorities to report all diagnosed cases. This enables veterinary authorities to obtain a comprehensive overview of the epidemiological situation , to monitor the spread and to take control measures.
In anticipation of the new legal basis, the Federal Government and Länder have agreed that the reporting requirement should de facto be effective immediately. In practice, this means that all new cases are immediately reported via the German animal disease notification system (TNS) of the Länder and their authorities. This is an unbureaucratic, fast and tried-and-tested reporting procedure. It means that the authorities are already able to get a daily picture of the current situation. The FLI is publishing the new figures daily on its website.

At the last EU Agriculture Council, the BMELV advocated also introducing a reporting requirement at EU level as new cases are being detected in other European countries as well. The Commission has promised to examine this matter accordingly. Germany and the Netherlands will continue to work towards promoting research activities on diagnosis and vaccination at European level.

Further information

Up-to-date information on the "Schmallenberg virus", answers to frequently asked questions and up-to-date maps depicting the spread of the virus in Germany are available on the website of the Friedrich Loeffler Institute.

Friedrich Loeffler Institute - Current Information on ‛Schmallenberg virus’