Bluetongue: how to spot and report the diseaseit

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.

The

Latest lastsituation outbreakand indisease England,control Scotland or Wales was in 2007.

zones

Latest situation

Update 1112 January 2024

Following active surveillance in the the Norfolk temporary control zone (TCZ),), one further case of bluetongue in cattle has been identified on a premises near Limpenhoe in the existing TCZ.

The positive animal will be humanely culled to minimise the risk of onward transmission. The TCZ is is not being extended and movement restrictions continue to apply to cattle, sheep, deer, camelids and other ruminants in the zone.

This brings the total number of bluetongue cases in England to 50 infected animals on 27 premises. There is still no evidence that bluetongue virus is currently circulating in midges in Great Britain. Surveillance is ongoing.

Check if you’re in a zone on the bluetongue disease control zone map.

Update 1011 January 2024

Following active surveillance in the Norfolk temporary control zone (TCZ),), one further case of bluetongue in cattle has been identified on a premises near Limpenhoe in the existing existing TCZ.

Update 10 January 2024

Following active surveillance in the north-eastthe KentNorfolk temporary control zone (TCZ), one further case of bluetongue in acattle sheep has been identified aton a newpremises locationnear Limpenhoe in the existing existing TCZ, in the Canterbury area..

Update 9 January 2024

Following active surveillance in the north-east Kent temporary control zone (TCZ), 2one further casescase of bluetongue in cattlea havesheep has been identified at 2a new locationslocation in the existing TCZ, in the SandwichCanterbury area. Both locations are linked to holdings where cases have recently been found.

All bluetongue disease control zones

Find details of all bluetongue disease control zones in England.

Check if you’re in a zone on the bluetongue disease control zone map.

Bluetongue risk

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

• BTV-3-1 
• BTV-4-3  
• BTV-4  
• BTV-8

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• temperature

identified.

BluetongueFind details couldof alsoall spreadbluetongue intodisease thecontrol UKzones ifin infectedEngland, animals,including bloodrules oryou germinalmust products,follow arein importedthese from countries where bluetongue is circulating.areas.

Bluetongue has been reported in a number of European countries. SeeGo to the current outbreak assessments and the topical issues page for more detail.

You should discuss the risks of importing stock from BTV affected countries with your vet.

Movement licences

VaccinationYou iscan availableonly formove someanimals typesinto, out of bluetongue.or within a TCZ under limited circumstances.

You shouldcan discuss vaccinatingapply yourfor herda orspecific flockmovement licence with yourif vet.there’s an urgent and genuine welfare need to move animals. The application guidance includes:

Movement

• how licences

Animalto movementsapply outfor ofa licence

the types of movements covered by licences

slaughterhouses that accept animals from TCZs

Surveillance visits in temporary control zonezones 

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (TCZAPHA) areis onlycarrying allowedout undersurveillance limitedvisits circumstances.on Movementsall into,sites outwith ofsusceptible oranimals withinin the zonetemporary arecontrol onlyzones. allowedThis underincludes licence.zoos and wildlife centres.  

However,On youa cansurveillance applyvisit, forthey awill:  

• check specificrecords  
• inspect movementsusceptible licenceanimals ifand there’stake anblood urgentsamples 

Lambs and genuinekids welfareunder need12 toweeks movewill animals,be orinspected. They will only be sampled if the dam tests positive. 

APHA will contact you needin advance to moveschedule animalsa from:visit and confirm stock numbers. You must assist APHA with sampling by: 

• a gathering premisesup within the TCZanimals
•  providing handling facilities for safe sampling   

If your animal tests positive, APHA towill anothernotify premisesyou within the48 TCZ

hours of taking samples. This will be before they make the freecase areapublic.  

The intocurrent policy is that positive animals will be humanely culled to reduce the TCZrisk permanentlyof (fordisease example,transmission. breedingYou stock)

will receive compensation.  

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

• thecheck freeany areaunsampled oranimals withinyou theown TCZat toall golocations direct(even toif slaughterthey withinare outside of the TCZ )
• the TCZ tomonitor gonegative directanimals toand slaughterretest atthem aif designatedneeded  
• test slaughterhouseoffspring inof positive animals  
• place all other susceptible animals at the freeaffected areapremises (allunder newmovement slaughterhouserestrictions designationsuntil arethey subjectcan toconfirm reviewthat no transmission has occurred  
• trace and risksample assessment)any animals moved from the holding where any positive animals were

How

APHA towill spotnot 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 Bluetonguebluetongue 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
• abortionabortion, 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
• abortionabortion, 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 (BTV-8) 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
• abortionsstillbirths

Livestock keepers and vets should consider bluetongue as a possible cause forand calvesreport showingsuspicion theseto signs.the APHA immediately.

Photos of clinical signs

We’veThere publishedare some photos ofshowing the clinical signs of bluetongue disease on Flickr.

Report suspected bluetongue

If you suspect bluetongue, you must report it immediately by calling:  

• 03000 200 301 in England  
• 03003 038 268 in Wales  
• your local Field Services Office in Scotland  

How bluetongue is spread

Bluetongue virus is mostly spread by certain species of biting midges (Culicoides species), many of which can be found throughout Great Britain. Midges can also bring the virus over from mainland Europe depending on weather conditions.

Midges are infected with the virus when they bite an infected animal and the virus spreads when the infected midge then bites an uninfected susceptible animal. Once a midge has picked up the bluetongue virus it will be a carrier for the rest of its life. 

The time of year (midges are mainly active between April to November), meteorological conditions (temperature, wind speed and direction and rain), topography and the proximity and density of neighbouring farms with susceptible animals are significant factors in a potential incursion and onimpact how quickly, and how far midges can spread the disease.

Bluetongue virus can also be spread through biological products such as blood, germinal products (semen or embryos), or the movement of infected animals. It can also spread to Great Britain when infected products germplasm (sperm, eggs and ova) and animals are imported.

Infected pregnant animals can, under certain circumstances, transmit the virus to their unborn offspring. Once born, the infected offspring could act as a source of bluetongue virus.

The severity of the infection depends upon the serotype of the virus and may also be affected by strain. New serotypes continue to be identified but only serotypes 1-241 to 24 are notifiable.

Practice good hygiene when vaccinating animals

Bluetongue can also be transmitted through dirty needles.

Animal keepers and vets should follow good practice when treating and vaccinating animals at risk of being infected with bluetongue.

Preventing and controlling bluetongue

You can help to prevent the disease by:

• vaccinating your animals with a suitable authorised vaccine
• responsibly source livestock
• practising good biosecurity on your premises
• remaining vigilant

If

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Vaccinationhas isbeen theconfirmed bestin wayGreat toBritain.  

You protectcan vaccinate animals fromagainst theserotypes bluetongue1, virus2, serotypes4 1,2,4 and 8. You should discuss with your vet whether vaccination would benefit your business.business.   

Bluetongue Therecan isbe notransmitted vaccinethrough availabledirty forneedles. serotypeAnimal 3.keepers and vets should follow good practice when treating and vaccinating animals at risk of being infected with bluetongue.  

You need to complyto comply with the requirements ofof the thebluetongue general licence if if you wish to vaccinate animals located outside of a restricted zone for bluetongue.bluetongue.  

It can take up to 6 weeks for your animals to be fully immune,immune. asYour your animals will require a period of time for immunity to develop following vaccination and may requireneed 2 doses of the vaccine, 3 weeks apart.apart.  

Vets can apply to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate for a Special Import Certificate (SIC).(SIC).  

The certificate allows keepers to import safe and effective bluetongue vaccine directly to vaccinate their stock.

Controlling outbreaks of bluetongue

Find out more about how the government will control an outbreak in:

• the contingency plan for exotic notifiable diseases
• the bluetongue control strategy
• Bluetongue Regulations 2008
• Bluetongue (Amendment) Regulations 2012 which allows vaccination under licence
• The Exotic Disease (Amendment) (England) Order 2023
• The Bluetongue (Compensation) Order 2007

Importing animals from bluetongue affected countries

You should get advice from your vet about the risks and the health status of animals you want to import, before you import them.

If you import animals you should:

• make sure animals comply with all of the requirements of the model health certificate to confirm they’ve come from a bluetongue free country or, where a vaccine exists, the animal has been correctly vaccinated against the right strains of bluetongue - this will depend on which country you’re importing from
• fill in bluetongue declaration GBHC172 if transiting through a bluetongue restricted territory
• check if current issues relating to imports, exports and EU trade of animals and animal products affect your import
• consider what additional guarantees the seller can provide - such as a pre-export test to prove the animal is not infected and has immunity to BTV
• consider pre-vaccinating your flock or herd against the relevant strains of bluetongue before introducing new animals

Movement restrictions will apply to cattle or sheep imported from countries where bluetongue is known to be circulating. These restrictions will apply until the animals have been tested and confirmed free of the disease.

Animals that test positive for bluetongue may be culled or returned to the country of origin. Any animals which travelled in the same vehicle and are at risk of becoming infected may also be culled.culled or returned. No compensation will be paid for the culled or returned animals. This only applies to imported animals.

For UK born and bred animals that are culled to control the spread of disease, compensation will be paid at market value.

All other animals on the premises that are at risk of becoming infected will be placed under movement restrictions. These restrictions will apply until it’s confirmed that the disease has not spread. These restrictions may last several weeks.

Controlling outbreaks of bluetongue