A draft royal decree just signed by Federal Agriculture Minister David Clarinval is aimed at strengthening the control of infectious bovine rhinotracheitis in Belgium.
According to the minister, Belgium has been fighting to eradicate the disease for years. The draft decree makes it possible to win that fight and promote Belgian foreign trade under safe sanitary conditions.
Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) is a viral disease caused by the bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BoHV-1). IBR controls have been mandatory for cattle rearers from 2012. Since then, several measures have been taken to eradicate the virus from the Belgian cattle herd.
In recent years, the number of free herds has steadily increased. However, it is regularly observed that some herds relapse, often after the purchase of a new bovine, which indicates that some of the virus is still circulating. Additional measures must therefore be taken to achieve free status at EU member-State level in the foreseeable future, the minister’s office explained in a statement.
The draft decree concerns a programme to combat the virus with a high economic impact, without a zoonotic component, outlining the control steps point by point and detailing the procedures for granting the “free” status acquired by 98.6% of Belgian herds.
The draft decree also sets out the steps to be followed in the event of a case being detected, and conditions for the vaccination and qualification of herds.
