Blue Tongue Disease Outbreak in Republic
Hani Ammar, Deputy Director of the General Directorate of Veterinary Services, confirmed the emergence of about a dozen outbreaks of Blue Tongue Disease (Ovine Catarrhal Fever) in a limited number of sheep heads in certain regions of the Republic, emphasizing that this disease is not of great severity.
During his intervention on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, on the "Youm Saïd" program on National Radio, Hani Ammar called on breeders to inform veterinary services and regional delegations of Agriculture they depend on, if they notice any change or symptoms in the animal, in order to carry out the necessary analyzes and identify the nature of the disease.
The speaker revealed that Blue Tongue Disease is a purely animal disease that is not transmitted to humans and rarely causes mortality cases. He recommended that breeders not slaughter sick animals, especially if they have a high fever.
In this context, Hani Ammar warned against buying meat of a very intense red color, as it could come from a sick animal and consequently become unfit for consumption.
Meanwhile, the guest of "Youm Saïd" presented a series of recommendations for the prevention of diseases transmitted by insects, which consist mainly of:
- Cleaning the breeding places and their surroundings daily
- Draining stagnant water inside and around the stables
- Keeping animal waste and manure away from stables as much as possible and spraying them with authorized pesticides
- Protecting animals from insect bites, especially at night, by:
- Sheltering them inside stables and installing screens on ventilation openings
- Spraying authorized insecticides inside stables and on animals (especially the head, ears, limbs, and abdomen)
- Bathing small ruminants in basins containing authorized pesticides, and repeating the operation every 15 days or after each rain
These measures aim to prevent the spread of Blue Tongue Disease and other insect-borne diseases, and to protect animal and human health.
