Foot and mouth stops Pirbright lab producing any bluetongue vaccine
Research centre leading the fight against the latest threat to British farmers is powerless to act
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Britain's battle against the bluetongue virus is being hampered because the vaccine used to counter it was being developed at the private Surrey laboratory now closed because it is suspected of being a source of the foot and mouth outbreak, The Independent on Sunday can reveal.
The Merial centre, next to the Institute of Animal Health in Pirbright, was in the final stages of producing the vaccine against bluetongue when it was forced to stop its work with live viruses two months ago. No other labs are thought close to a similar breakthrough. The vaccine is weeks behind schedule and will not be ready in time to vaccinate animals against a predicted resurgence of the virus next summer.
During a visit on Friday to the Institute of Animal Health (IAH) in Pirbright, the IoS was told that animals would need to be vaccinated by early spring next year if we are to have a "fighting chance" against the latest virus to hit Britain's farm animals. But Merial has been unable to work with live viruses for almost two months, following concerns over biosecurity measures.
The Pirbright buildings – there are plans for a new £120m "superlab" by 2001 – look more like a rundown 1970s secondary school than those housing one of the world's leading animal disease research centres.
Professor Peter Mertens, who has researched the bluetongue virus for 25 years at the IAH, said: "If we vaccinate animals in East Anglia in time to create a buffer zone of animals before the midges start to reappear next May, we may be able to contain the virus, or even stop it from re-emerging."
But Merial has ruled out the possibility of the vaccine being ready until early summer at the earliest. "We are pretty confident that we have a vaccine that will work," a spokesman said. "But until Defra decides that we can work with live viruses at our Pirbright centre, we cannot make the vaccine."
Defra confirmed no vaccine orders had been placed. A spokesman said: "Further inspections are being carried out at Merial and, provided these are satisfactory, we hope to be able to allow the use of live virus at the site within weeks."
A National Farmers Union spokesman said: "Every non-scientific obstacle to the development and deployment of a vaccine must be removed as a matter of the utmost urgency."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments