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Bluetongue: What you need to know
What is it?
Bluetongue is a notifiable disease, caused by infection of the Bluetongue virus. Biting midges mainly spread it. It affects livestock, such as cattle, sheep, goats and alpacas. Outbreaks can result in animal movement and trade restrictions; however it does not affect humans or food safety.
What to look for?
Adult cattle are often the preferred host for biting midges and may be infectious for several weeks before showing any clinical signs of infection.
The main signs of Bluetongue infection in cattle are:
• 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
• Drop in milk production
• Not eating
• Abortion, foetal deformities and stillbirths
What are the Current Restrictions for Bluetongue in the UK and Ireland?
• From 1st July 2025, the restrictions of Bluetongue have changed. The restriction zone for Bluetongue now covers all of England. This means you can move animals within England without a specific Bluetongue license or pre-movement testing.
• In order to freeze germinal products (sperm, ova and embryos) anywhere in England, you will need a specific license and testing is also required. Keepers are responsible for covering the cost of sampling, postage and testing for this.
• Susceptible animals will be allowed to move to Scotland and Wales from England provided that you have a movement license issued by the APHA. This license confirms that the animals have a valid pre-movement test (at your expense), or Vaccination with the Boehringer Bultavo-3 vaccine (for cattle only), as well as having no clinical symptoms.
• In Northern Ireland, movement restrictions remain in place. Animals and germinal products cannot move from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
• The Republic of Ireland is currently free of Bluetongue, however there remains the risk of the disease spreading to Ireland. The import of live ruminants from Great Britain to Ireland has remained suspended but germinal products may be imported from Great Britain to Ireland once relevant animal health requirements have been certified. Movement of ruminant and germinal products from Northern Ireland are still permitted, which is subject to the usual conditions.
Preventing Bluetongue on your farm
You can prevent the virus from spreading by:
• Vaccinating your animals against Bluetongue
• Ensuring your livestock are responsibly sourced
• Remaining vigilant to the clinical signs of Bluetongue
• Housing your animals in buildings that keep the biting midges out, which is particularly important at dawn and dusk
• Maintaining good hygiene and biosecurity
• Not allowing any farm dogs, cats or pets to eat/chew/play with any potentially infected materials (e.g. aborted material or afterbirth)
References
Rare Breeds Survival Trust. (2025). The Bluetongue situation from 1st July 2025. [online] Available at: https://www.rbst.org.uk/news/the-bluetongue-situation-from-1st-july-2025 [Accessed 1 Jul. 2025].
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (2014). Bluetongue: how to spot and report the disease. [online] GOV.UK. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/bluetongue
gov.ie. (2021). Bluetongue Virus. [online] Available at: https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-agriculture-food-and-the-marine/publications/bluetongue-virus/ [Accessed 1 Jul. 2025].
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