Bluetongue disease infects cattle in Switzerland

Bluetongue disease has spread to cattle in Switzerland, officials said Sunday.

Six cows have tested positive for the disease in a herd near Basel in northwestern Switzerland, the Federal Veterinary Office said.

An outbreak of the disease that started in Britain last month has led to restrictions on the movement of cattle there.

Swiss authorities have imposed a 20-kilometer (12-mile) protection zone around the affected farm, and one cow with severe symptoms was killed.

The bluetongue virus, which is spread by small flies, affects cows, sheep and other ruminants and can be fatal. It does not affect humans.

The disease is common in Mediterranean climates, but over the last year has spread as far north as Denmark.