"Blue Tongue", a bullfighting equivalent to Mad Cow in Canada, has descended, out of the blue on Pamplona, home of the annual Bull Run.
In what breeders lament is their worst crisis in a century, some 65 percent of Spain's bull-breeding farms are affected by the blue tongue virus, which is transmitted by mosquitoes.
Looks like Pamplona bulls won't be standing let alone running by this July's bull run.
The new millennium seems to have ushered in the Century of the Rare Virus.
Bypassing acres of swampland, the mosquito-borne West Nile disease showed up in, of all places, New York State. The arrival of West Nile in the Western Hemisphere was recorded in the Big apple.
The Butcher of Baghdad did have an embassy at Manhattan UN headquarters, but who there would dare ask to see the contents of diplomatic pouches from Iraq?
How many vials would it take to create West Nile disease in the Western Hemisphere?
How many people don't like other people eating cows?
What about those who have been lamenting for years that bull fights are archaic monstrosities?
Measures to combat the spread of blue tongue bull disease in Spain are almost as hysterical as those being taken to contain avian Flu in asia. Movements of bulls are being restricted in andalusia, Extremadura and Castilla-La Mancha, where most fighting bulls originate. animals may be transported outside those areas only to be taken to slaughter.
"The government is behaving shamefully, and sending our national fiesta into free fall," says Eduardo Miura, president of Spain's Union of Breeders of Fighting Bulls, which met in session last week. "There's no co-ordination by the authorities, and the bull-breeders suffer most."
Not to be seen as slagging, the agriculture Ministry insists that it must protect the health of livestock.
as a direct result, last November's big cattle fair at Jerez was cancelled because of blue tongue scare, and the upcoming "Fallas" fiesta is destined to run short of bulls.
The famous Pamplona Bull Run will not happen until July, when teeming enthusiasts run through the streets with the bulls. Even though Pamplona is miles away from the restricted zones, the bulls for this year's event have all been contracted from farms affected by the blue tongue virus.
"Current restrictions mean we cannot allow bulls to run through the streets," warned Julio Fernandez, veterinary adviser to the breeder's union.
Who needs the inconvenience of the public protest if diseases can be spread among the herd by infecting a single padded paw traveler?
How long will it be before foxes running in foxhunts come down with "Purple Tongue" disease?
Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com
Pursuant to Title 17 U.S.C. 107, other copyrighted work is provided for educational purposes, research, critical comment, or debate without profit or payment. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for your own purposes beyond the 'fair use' exception, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. Views are those of authors and not necessarily those of Canada Free Press. Content is Copyright 1997-2024 the individual authors. Site Copyright 1997-2024 Canada Free Press.Com Privacy Statement