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Bluetongue affects:

• sheep
• cattle
• other ruminants such as deer and goats
• camelids such as llamas and alpacas

Rarely, bluetongue can affect dogs and other carnivores if they eat infected material (such as aborted material and afterbirth).

It does not affect people or food safety, but outbreaks can result in prolonged animal movement and trade restrictions.

Latest situation and disease control zones

There are 56 bluetongue cases in England on 33 premises. There is still no evidence that bluetongue virus is currently circulating in midges in Great Britain. Surveillance is ongoing.

Check if youre in a zone on the?bluetongue disease control zone map.

Update 23 January 2024

Following active surveillance of premises in thenorth-east Kent temporary control zone (TCZ), one further case of bluetongue has been confirmed in a cow at a premises near Canterbury.

The positive animal will not be culled at this time, but it will be restricted at its current location and disease mitigation measures will be taken. This reflects a recent reduction in the midge activity, reducing the risk of onward transmission. TheTCZis not being extended and movement restrictions continue to apply to cattle, sheep, deer, camelids and other ruminants in the zone.

Update 21 January 2024

Following active surveillance of premises in theNorfolkTCZtemporary control zone (TCZ), one further case of bluetongue has been confirmed in a cow at another new premises near Reedham.

Update 19 January 2024

Following active surveillance of premises in theNorfolkTCZtemporary control zone (TCZ), one further case of bluetongue has been confirmed in a cow at a new premises near Reedham.

All bluetongue disease control zones

A number of different types (serotypes) of bluetongue are circulating in Europe including:

• BTV-1
• BTV-3
• BTV-4
• BTV-8

In Great Britain, bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) has been found in Kent and Norfolk.

To minimise the spread of disease, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is placing 10km temporary control zones (TCZs) around premises with infected animals.

The TCZ may be extended if further cases are identified.

Finddetails of all bluetongue disease control zones in England, including rules you must follow in these areas.

Bluetongue has been reported in a number of European countries. Go to thecurrentoutbreak assessmentsand thetopical issues pagefor more detail.

You should discuss the risks ofimporting stock fromBTVaffected countrieswith your vet.

Movement licences

You can only move animals into, out of or within a TCZ under limited circumstances.

You can apply for a specific movement licence if theres an urgent and genuine welfare need to move animals. The application guidance includes:

• how to apply for a licence
• the types of movements covered by licences
• slaughterhouses that accept animals from TCZs

Surveillance visits in temporary control zones

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) is carrying out surveillance visits on all sites with susceptible animals in the temporary control zones. This includes zoos and wildlife centres.

On a surveillance visit, they will:

• check records
• inspect susceptible animals and take blood samples

Lambs and kids under 12 weeks will be inspected. They will only be sampled if the dam tests positive.

APHA will contact you in advance to schedule a visit and confirm stock numbers. You must assist APHA with sampling by:

• gathering up the animals
• providing handling facilities for safe sampling

If your animal tests positive, APHA will notify you within 48 hours of taking samples. This will be before they make the case public.

The current policy is that positive animals will be humanely culled to reduce the risk of disease transmission. You will receive compensation.

If a case of bluetongue is confirmed on your premises, APHA will also:

• check any unsampled animals you own at all locations (even if they are outside of the TCZ)
• monitor negative animals and retest them if needed
• test offspring of positive animals
• place all other susceptible animals at the affected premises under movement restrictions until they can confirm that no transmission has occurred
• trace and sample any animals moved from the holding where any positive animals were

APHA will not notify you of negative results. If you have not received notification within a week, you can assume results are negative.

Signs of bluetongue

If you keep livestock, you must continue to keep a close watch for, and report, any suspicion of bluetongue disease in your animals.

In sheep

Sheep are more likely to show obvious clinical signs of bluetongue than cattle if they become infected. Signs of bluetongue in sheep include:

• ulcers or sores in the mouth and nose
• discharge from the eyes or nose and drooling from mouth
• swelling of the lips, tongue, head and neck and the coronary band (where the skin of the leg meets the horn of the foot)

Other clinical signs include:

• red skin as a result of blood collecting beneath the surface
• fever
• lameness
• breathing problems
• abortion, foetal deformities and stillbirths
• death

In lambs

Lambs can become infected with bluetongue before birth if the dam is infected while pregnant. Signs of infection include:

• lambs born small, weak, deformed or blind
• death of lambs within a few days of birth
• stillbirths

Livestock keepers and vets should consider bluetongue as a possible cause and report suspicion to APHA immediately.

In cattle

Signs of the disease include:

• lethargy
• crusty erosions around the nostrils and muzzle
• redness of the mouth, eyes, nose
• reddening of the skin above the hoof
• nasal discharge
• reddening and erosions on the teats
• fever
• milk drop
• not eating
• abortion, foetal deformities and stillbirths

Adult cattle may serve as a source of virus for several weeks while displaying little or no clinical signs of disease and are often the preferred host for insect vectors.

In calves

Calves can become infected with bluetongue before birth if the mother is infected while pregnant. Signs of infection include:

• calves born small, weak, deformed or blind
• death of calves within a few days of birth
• stillbirths

Livestock keepers and vets should consider bluetongue as a possible cause and report suspicion to the

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