FACTBOX-Facts about Bluetongue virus

(Reuters) - A British lab has detected the presence of Bluetongue virus in a cow in eastern England, the agriculture ministry said on Saturday, the first case recorded in the United Kingdom.

Following are some facts about the virus:

* Bluetongue is a disease of animals. It does not affect humans. It is a disease of ruminants, including sheep, cattle, deer and goats. It is transmitted by the movement of midges or by movements of infected animals if they are subsequently bitten by midges.

* It is characterised by inflammation of the mucous membranes, congestion, swelling and haemorrhages. Sheep are often the worst affected, with lameness, drooling and high body temperatures.

* Deaths of sheep in a flock may reach as high as 70 percent. Animals that survive the disease can lose condition with a reduction in meat and wool production.

* In Europe, the disease has tended to occur in warmer, more southerly areas like Greece and Italy, as well as in Corsica and Spain's Balearic Islands, since 1999. Scientists say its origin is most likely both Turkey and north Africa.

* Bluetongue was confirmed in 2006 for the first time much further north: in Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. This year, the same five countries have been suffering the same problem, only worse.

* Due to the large distances involved in potential midge movement, EU authorities usually impose a "surveillance zone" with a radius of 150 km (90 miles) around any infected area.

(Sources Defra www.defra.gov.uk, Reuters)