UK bluetongue cases surpass previous three seasons combined

UK – Reported bluetongue cases have surpassed the combined total of the previous three seasons, with the disease spreading farther north and increasing pressure on livestock farmers.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has recorded 2,201 cases during the 2026-27 bluetongue season, which runs from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027. September accounted for 1,103 cases.

Bluetongue affects sheep, cattle and other ruminants and can cause fever, ulcers, swelling, lameness and, in severe cases, death. The disease does not affect people or food safety.

Biting midges transmit the virus. Serotype 3 (BTV-3), the strain currently affecting UK livestock, was first detected in England in 2023.

The disease has now crossed into Scotland for the first time, with cases recorded as far north as Aberdeenshire.

Vaccine supply under pressure

Farmers can vaccinate livestock against bluetongue, but Robyn Munt, vice-president of the National Farmers’ Union, said obtaining vaccines had been challenging because supplies operate through a demand-led process.

She said farmers faced additional labour and financial pressure from vaccination and potential treatment of affected animals, alongside drought-related costs.

Defra defines a bluetongue case as a premises where at least one animal with the disease is present. The number of reported cases therefore does not represent the total number of affected animals.

The spread of BTV-3 has been linked to warmer conditions that allow biting midges to survive and transmit the virus over a wider area. The World Organisation for Animal Health has linked the wider spread of bluetongue in Europe to climate change.

Tom Cantillon, a senior analyst at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said warmer summers and milder winters could increase the risk of pests and pathogens establishing in areas where they previously struggled to survive.

The outbreak is increasing the importance of disease surveillance, vaccination and preparedness as bluetongue extends into new areas of the UK.

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