The highly contagious animal disease, Epizootic Hemorrhagic disease (EHD), continues to spread rapidly throughout France, with approximately 1,200 cases throughout various regions of the country, reported the French Agriculture Ministry.
The affected areas were located in the provinces of Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Hautes-Pyrénées, Haute-Garonne, Gers, Landes, Ariège, Tarn, among others.
Additionally, two outbreaks of the disease were reported in Switzerland in early October, specifically in the cantons of Bern and Jura.
Preventive measures were implemented in the French regions surrounding these outbreaks, although Swiss authorities rescinded similar actions on Tuesday.
Epizootic Hemorrhagic disease is caused by an infection of a virus from the genus Orbivirus, subsequently called Epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV). The symptoms of the disease include fever, weight loss, mouth sores, and breathing difficulties, but with very low mortality rates. To date, there is no vaccine available for this disease.