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| Situation Update No. 4 Ref.no.: BH-20091103-23703-NLD
Situation Update No. 4
On 2009-12-18 at 06:16:00 [UTC]
Event: Biological Hazard
Location: Netherlands Statewide Situation: Dutch authorities, already battling an outbreak of the highly infectious disease Q fever, have discovered contamination at five more farms and expect further outbreaks, the Agriculture Ministry said on Thursday. Q fever is caused by a bacterium that is mostly transmitted to humans from goats and sheep, especially during delivery of young, and the number of human cases of the disease has risen to about 2,200 currently from about 170 in 2007. A total of 60 farms in the country are now known to be affected and authorities plan to cull an extra 5,000 goats on top of the 35,000 announced on Wednesday, a spokesman for the agriculture ministry said. For humans, the illness causes flu-like symptoms treatable with antibiotics, but in rare cases it can be fatal. Six people who had other diseases or were weakened have died this year while having Q fever. The culling of goats is set to begin on Dec. 21, and will be done by lethal injection. Dutch authorities have toughened up measures to stop the disease spreading to humans following health advice, but Dutch farmers organisation LTO has opposed the plans, particularly the decision to kill healthy animals on contaminated farms. |  | | | |
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