British agriculture suffered yet another blow this week as bluetongue virus was discovered in sheep. This virus, which is harmless to humans yet often fatal to livestock, was first discovered in British cattle last month. Its rapid spread could cause huge problems for Britain’s sheep and cattle farming industry.

The disease is common in Southern Europe, but in the last year has spread north. It was probably carried over from the Continent by midges blown across the sea, and now it has many farmers worried.

“The situation is a lot more severe than many people realize,” warned Frank Languish, a large-scale sheep farmer from Kent. “This is just the start of the crisis.”

“This year there are a very small number of actual bluetongue cases,” he went on to say, “but when it comes back after the winter it will kill many, many more animals—that is the nature of the disease. The numbers of infections multiply very rapidly; that is the experience in Europe.”

Languish said the problem is further compounded by the fact that the only vaccine available is manufactured in such small quantities that there just isn’t enough for Britain. He warns that there is “very little hope” for British farmers.

In addition to the disease itself, farmers also have to worry about additional restrictions put in place to prevent its spread. Travel bans and sheep culling could cause major disruption to the industry. If these travel bans do not end soon, farmers could find themselves running out of grass for their livestock.

This follows on the heels of the recent foot-and-mouth scare. To find out what is behind this bad news, read our article “The Leper of Europe.”