Veterinary interests are booming after the Le Kef bluetongue case
The recording of confirmed infections with bluetongue in cows and sheep at a local NPR delegation is a concern for farmers and a veterinary exhortation to follow the herd's safety.
Late October 2026 confirmed cases of bluetongue in cows and sheep were recorded by a local delegation from Le Kef (Le Kef). This emergence has raised growing concern among the farming community, prompting veterinary authorities to declare a state of emergency to monitor the position of meteorites in the area.
This epidemic infection is transmitted exclusively to animals through blood-sucking insects that are active with high temperatures and humidity, without posing any risk to human health.
Farmers and ranchers demanded increased coverage, provision of medicines and interventions to avoid material loss and protect livestock wealth. Veterinary interests of the ADA and the National Centre for Animal Health Monitoring indicated the application of safety regulations and organised outreach to insect control and infection reduction, while prohibiting slaughter of infected animals or consumption of their meat outside controlled legal slaughterhouses.
The country's first confirmed outbreak of the blue tongue virus dates back to 1999, before recording subsequent outbreaks involving 193 facilities and an outbreak in October 2020, plus 33 other outbreaks during October 2021.
Future steps include intensifying field inspections and laboratory analyses of suspect samples in farming colonies, as well as widespread spraying campaigns against portable insects and helping young breeders cope with economic impacts.