Cases of Schmallenberg virus are spreading rapidly across northern Europe and the hunt is on for an answer - and a vaccine.

EU considers options as new animal disease hits sheep & cattle

The first cases were spotted  last year in Germany.

Now Schmallenberg virus is spreading  rapidly through the rest of Germany,

the Netherlands, Belgium,  the UK and France

By working together  the 27 nations can pool resources

and certainly research efforts  into finding vaccines

The disease is thought  to be spread by midges,

not from animal to animal,  nor to be dangerous to humans.

But it causes still births  and deformities

in the lambs and calves  of up to a third of infected adults.

I’ve heard it'll be at least two years,

but on the plus side, according  to the indications and evidence,

animals acquire immunity to this virus  very quickly, so that’s a positive.

The problem is that  the disease is so new

that the immunity among infected animals  delivering normal offspring isn't guaranteed.

It might be that the immunity that develops  after the infection is relatively short,

meaning that the animal can be  infected again in the next season.

More cases are expected as the lambing  and calving seasons progress.

spreading north from warmer countries  as the climate warms.

Yes, indeed it is exactly the same problem  as with the bluetongue disease.

and this is why we fear the consequences  will be as dangerous as bluetongue's.

With milk yield reduced  and a loss of livestock,

the unpredictable rise  of Schmallenberg virus

is one more problem  Europe’s farmers could do without.