Bluetongue cases and zones
The APHA's bluetongue heatmap shows the ‘heat’ of BTV activity and includes the location of all reported cases – cases that have been reported as suspected of BTV but have not yet been confirmed. It is worth remembering that BTV is endemic in the midge population across England and Wales, so assumptions should not be made that the risk of disease is low outside of the heat activity areas.
The advice of the NFU remains that the best risk mitigation is to vaccinate, so farmers should speak to their vet as soon as possible about ordering and using vaccines to protect their livestock.
Bluetongue – the view from a farm
In this short video, NFU member and livestock farmer, Richard Stanbury talks of his experience of bluetongue and gives some valuable advice to other farmers.
The AHDB regularly holds webinars to share live updates from industry experts. To find out more and watch past recordings, visit: AHDB | Bluetongue virus technical webinar
- For the latest information, visit: GOV.UK | Bluetongue: news, information and guidance for livestock keepers
- For details of cases and control zones, visit: GOV.UK | Notifiable animal disease cases and control zones
- Check if you’re in a temporary control zone or restriction zone – use the APHA's interactive bluetongue zone map.
- Report vaccine usage: GOV.UK | Report your use of the bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) vaccine
Ruminant Health & Welfare has a section dedicated to bluetongue:
Bluetongue – the view from a vet
Holly, a farm vet from Cheshire, talks about the impact of bluetongue on a farm she visited.
Signs and symptoms
Bluetongue affects sheep, cattle and other ruminants. It is a viral disease spread by biting midges, which affects all ruminants (eg, sheep, cattle, goats and deer) and camelids (such as llama and alpaca).
Symptoms vary across ruminants, but include:
- fever
- lesions
- redness of the mouth
- eyes
- nose
- reddening of the skin above the hoof
- excessive salivation
- nasal discharge.
However, animals may show little or no clinical signs.
It does not affect humans or food safety – meat and milk from infected animals are also safe to eat and drink.
For more information on the signs and symptoms of bluetongue, visit: GOV.UK | Bluetongue: how to spot and report the disease
Key webinars
AHDB offers a series of technical webinars which offer vet practitioners and other stakeholders valuable technical information about BTV3.
Details of upcoming webinars can be found at AHDB | Bluetongue virus technical webinars.
Watch the previous webinars, which have covered topics such as the symptoms of BTV, the midge lifecycle and the impact of temperature on BTV transmission at: YouTube | AHDB.
Your health and wellbeing
Your health and wellbeing matters.
If you are in need of help or support in the aftermath of a bluetongue outbreak on farm, there are a number of farming organisations that can help.
If you are struggling or know someone who is, know that you are not alone. Our health and safety team have put together a list of available organisations that can support you, both nationally and locally.
