in the Landes, herds decimated by bluetongue

Bluetongue continues to spread, 7,000 outbreaks have already been recorded in France. In the Landes, all livestock farms are affected. Jonathan Cessac, breeder in Cauneille in the south of the department. He cannot bring himself to see his animals suffer and die like this.

The symptoms of the disease are impressive: muscle stiffness, nasal discharge, eye irritation, cyanosis of the tongue and generalized tetany. Every day since September, Jonathan Cessac says he gets up “with a lump in my stomach“. The breeder, based in Cauneille in the Landes, scrutinizes the behavior of his sheep and unfortunately recognizes the effects of the epizootic.

At the beginning of November, he placed around ten animals separately, in an enclosure that he calls “infirmary”, “to have better surveillance”.

Regularly, it is a ram which no longer seems to have enough strength to get up or even a sheep which “begins to have a blue tongue, mucous membranes that run “. Jonathan Cessac had however tried to treat the latter with an antibiotic, so that she would be protected, “that she does not become even more infected with other diseases to try to fight against this virus“. Precautions which seem vain. He describes almost daily mortality, difficult to bear for the breeder. “In the morning, I get up with a lump in my stomach and I count the dead sheep. We are not breeders to see animals suffer, far from it!“

Bluetongue fever (BCF) is on the verge of decimating sheep flocks in the Landes. Appearing at the beginning of September, thevirulent epidemic, transmitted by a midge, continues to spread and worries sheep farmers since it causes mortality and abortion in infected animals. All sheep breeders in the department, around twenty in total, are affected.

Jonathan Cessac was able to witness the progression of the epidemic. In September, despite the first deaths on his farm, he arrived “still to care for his) sheep and save them”. Today, he has lost around twenty animals out of a herd of 140 head.

A sheep can be well one day, the next morning it is sick and in the evening it is found dead.

Jonathan Cessac

Sheep breeder in Cauneille

Today, thanks to ultrasounds, he knows that 60% of ewes are “empty or aborted.”This is a big shortfall for next year.“, he believes.

“We are impatiently awaiting the vaccine to save our animals“, assure Jonathan. “It’s our priority today to have a healthy herd!” But Landes sheep breeders cannot count on it for the moment, and for good reason, it is out of stock.

The Minister of Agriculture, Annie Genevrard, announced, on November 4 during a visit to Tarn, an order for two million additional doses. Doses which will not be available for many months, breeders deplore.

The minister also announced the holding, in January 2025, of an animal health conference, aimed at “take back a little the hand“against the epizootics which are harming French livestock farms. It already recognizes that the 75 million euros in the emergency fund announced at the Cournon-d'Auvergne livestock summit at the beginning of October, “would not be enough“, highlighting the scale of this health crisis.

“The problem in the Landes is the lack of communication. The minister had announced free vaccines, but they are not available before June 2025. Great promises but they are windy!” On the ground, according to Vincent Coco, president of the Landes rural coordination, the impact of the disease is being felt across an entire territory.

Beyond the mortality of sheep, but the trade unionist also points out the problem of renewing livestock. The 60 and 80% of abortions due to illness will have consequences: “There will be no lambs for Easter“, he predicts.

An entire chain will suffer from this disease: butchers, dairies, traders. Everyone is affected, not just the breeder, it’s very serious!

Vincent Coco

President of the Landes Rural Coordination

For its part, the Landes Chamber of Agriculture is calling for free vaccination and the implementation of financial measures to support the breeders concerned.