THE entire South West is now within a surveillance zone in an effort to combat bluetongue.

It follows a request from farmers in Cornwall to be included in an already established zone because of the problems caused over animal movements.

Trading of cattle between Cornwall and other counties would have become increasingly difficult because of the need for blood tests when taking cattle into a zone free area. Cattle going to market from Cornwall into Devon would be under movement control and, if not sold, would have to undergo a blood test when being taken back to the farm.

Farmers in the region have also been advised to be extra vigilant following a case of bluetongue in Dorset. Further cases are now expected as spring approaches and midge activity increases.

The Dorset case was identified during pre-movement testing in Poole. A new protection zone was established covering all of Dorset and the New Forest, and the surveillance zone extended into all of Somerset and Devon. As South West Farmer went to press, farmers' leaders in Cornwall went to Defra asking for the Duchy to be included.

The region's Euro-MP, Neil Parish, said the UK had ordered 22.5 million doses of bluetongue vaccine, and it was hoped the vaccination against the serotype (strain) affecting England could begin later this year.

As the disease is spread by midges, Mr Parish said full vaccination was the only long-term solution.

Mr Parish, who chairs the EU's agriculture committee and is a former Somerset dairy farmer, said: "This is the news we had all expected to hear in the South West, but that does not make it any easier for local farmers. The government was right to have placed an order for bluetongue vaccine early and now we must redouble our efforts to ensure a vaccination programme is implemented swiftly.

"Of course, we all would prefer it if there were some other way of managing this disease, but full vaccination is the only long-term solution."

A Defra spokesman confirmed that the new protection zone applied to Dorset, New Forest, Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch. In addition the surveillance zone extended into all of Somerset and Devon and now affected Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire, Swindon, City of Bristol, North Somerset, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Torbay and Plymouth.

The recent infected animals were found as a result of pre-movement testing currently required before moving animals out of restricted zones in the vector-free period from December. Evidence suggests that these animals were infected before the vector-free period commenced. It did not suggest that the virus was circulating in the UK at present, said Defra.