Fear that bovine nodular dermatosis will spread to the rest of Spain

Girona / BarcelonaThe fear among Spanish farmers and the different administrations that contagious nodular dermatosis (DNC) affecting the cattle sector And that the outbreak detected in Alt Empordà could spread to the rest of Spain is evident. In fact, this Tuesday the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food announced that it will allocate €660,000 to the purchase of vaccines against the disease, after the Council of Ministers approved the declaration of a health emergency. The Ministry reiterated that the responsibility lies with the regional governments, but considers emergency vaccination an "essential practice" to curb the spread of the disease, particularly "in the first weeks after the initial detection." In fact, the Ministry has submitted to the European Commission (EC) an expanded vaccination plan against the virus, covering new districts in Catalonia and Aragon, following the appearance of eighteen outbreaks on livestock farms in the province of Girona.

Specifically, the ministry explained that authorization from Brussels is an "essential condition" for administering the vaccine against this new disease affecting cattle in Spain. At the meeting of the Spanish Veterinary Health Alert Network (RASVE) held this Tuesday, the ministry reported on the availability of vaccines that will allow for the implementation of this vaccination plan and ensure a sufficient contingency stock.

Currently, the approved vaccination zone, a 50-kilometer radius around the 18 outbreaks detected in the province of Girona, covers 2,003 farms with 152,892 head of cattle, according to ministry sources. With the plan, which must receive approval from the European Commission, the aim is to vaccinate an additional 369,323 animals across 2,164 farms in some twenty Catalan districts, as well as 685 farms with 86,386 cows in three districts of Aragon. The plan also includes a perimeter vaccination zone encompassing five districts in Aragon and six in Catalonia, where "extreme surveillance by veterinary services is in place." The Ministry has not ruled out the possibility of more outbreaks appearing in the vaccinated areas in the coming days, but has supported the work of the Catalan government, which has already supplied 100,000 vials. Furthermore, it is hopeful that the low temperatures will cause the flies that transmit the virus to die off, and consequently, the virus itself. Milking: 66% of the herd vaccinated

On the other hand, the Catalan Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Food, Òscar Ordeig, stated that 66 percent of the Catalan livestock population in the three current outbreak areas has already been vaccinated. He explained that a new vaccination plan, which must be approved by the European Commission, has been submitted to expand the affected area. He made these remarks during his appearance before a parliamentary committee, along with the Secretary General of the Ministry, Cristina Massot, and the Director General, Rosa Altisent. "The situation is serious; we can't bury our heads in the sand," said Ordeig, who lamented that the sector is facing a disease previously unknown in Europe, although he reiterated that human health is not at risk. Currently, there are two outbreaks in Catalonia, in Castelló d'Empúries and Cassà de la Selva (Girona) (in addition to a third in France), affecting eighteen Catalan farms. The additional restricted zone, pending EC approval, is planned to include all the districts of Girona, Central Catalonia, the Pyrenees and Aran Valley, and part of the Lleida plain. This would expand the affected area by approximately 370,000 animals, adding to the 152,000 already affected in the three current outbreaks. 82.5% of the farms and 92% of the livestock population in the Castelló d'Empúries outbreak have already been vaccinated. Across the three affected areas, a total of 66% of the livestock population (50% of farms) has been vaccinated, representing approximately 100,000 vaccinations. The Catalan Ministry of Agriculture has explained that Catalonia has approximately 310,000 vaccine doses available. Regarding financial compensation for affected farms, Ordeig stated that the Government's initial €4 million package "will likely require additional contributions" and reiterated that the Ministry had already announced its intention to provide an advance payment to the sector until the compensation scales are finalized. The Minister asked for trust in the management of the Catalan National Cancer Institute (DNC) and assured that Catalonia has a robust system that works, although it must be continuously improved and refined: "With all due respect to everyone, but we do things right." He maintained that the Ministry's "absolute priority" is to prevent the spread of the disease and accelerate the vaccination process as much as possible, and reiterated that it is based exclusively on scientific criteria, even if they are not always fully understood, in his words. Most opposition groups have criticized the Government for its "negligence" in managing the dermatosis and for its lack of foresight. ERC criticized the Department of Agriculture for "failing to engage in any self-criticism" or address the "deficiencies" in forecasting and management. Junts reiterated its call for the Minister's resignation, describing his management as "negligence." The People's Party recalled that his first meeting was "a complete disaster," and the CUP lamented the "disarray" surrounding certain data, such as the number of vaccinated animals.