Bluetongue: latest situation
Source: gov.uk (2025-12-08)

Overview of current bluetongue cases, risk level, vaccinations and restrictions.

Contents:
- Total number of cases (#cases)
- Latest updates (#updates)
- Risk level (#risk)
- Control zones (#zones)
- Moving animals and animal products (#moving)
- Vaccination and biosecurity (#vaccination)
- Livestock identification and movement rules (#id)
- Importing animals and animal products (#importing)
- Webinars, leaflets, videos and posters (#richmedia)
- Defra’s bluetongue control strategy (#framework)
Be vigilant for signs of bluetongue and report it (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/bluetongue) if you suspect it.

Total number of cases

There have been 237 cases of bluetongue in Great Britain in the 2025 bluetongue season (since July 2025). In:
- England, there have been 222 cases of bluetongue - including 213 cases of only BTV-3, 1 case of only BTV-8 and 8 cases with both BTV-3 and BTV-8
- Wales, there have been 15 cases of BTV-3
There have been no cases in Scotland.

The location of all premises in Great Britain where one or more animals have tested positive by PCR for bluetongue serotype 3, serotype 8 or serotype 12 is available on the bluetongue case map (https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/4867f4e1f680415898482df7aabb703d/page/Page/).

There is one confirmed case of BTV-3 in Northern Ireland (https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/news/bluetongue-positive-findings-further-testing-county-down).

Latest updates

5 December 2025

One new case of BTV-3 in England was confirmed on 5 December 2025 following reports of suspicious clinical signs:
- 1 bovine in Devon with fever, swelling of head and crusting around nostrils
Three new cases of BTV-3 in England were confirmed on 5 December 2025 following routine bluetongue surveillance:
- 1 bovine in Hampshire
- 1 bovine in Kent
- 1 bovine in Berkshire
3 December 2025

One new case of BTV-3 in England was confirmed on 3 December 2025 following reports of suspicious clinical signs:
- 1 cow in Derbyshire tested following an abortion
One new case of BTV-3 in England was confirmed on 3 December 2025 following routine bluetongue surveillance:
- 10 cattle in Cornwall
2 December 2025

One new case of BTV-3 in England was confirmed on 2 December 2025 following routine bluetongue surveillance:
- 1 bovine in Devon
One new case of both BTV-3 and BTV-8 in different animals in England was confirmed on 2 December 2025 following routine bluetongue surveillance:
- 5 cattle in Cornwall (1 with BTV-8 and 4 with BTV-3)
28 November 2025

One new case of BTV-3 in England was confirmed on 28 November 2025 following reports of suspicious clinical signs:
- 5 dairy cows in Derbyshire with reduced fertility and milk drop
Five new cases of BTV-3 in England were confirmed on 28 November 2025 following routine bluetongue surveillance:
- 8 cattle in Hampshire
- 2 cattle in Cornwall
- 1 bovine in Kent
- 1 bovine in Devon
- 1 bovine in Devon
27 November 2025

One new case of BTV-3 in England was confirmed on 27 November 2025 following routine bluetongue surveillance:
- 9 cattle in East Sussex
26 November 2025

One new case of BTV-3 in England was confirmed on 26 November 2025 following a non-negative post-movement test:
- 8 cattle in Lancashire
Risk level

Temperatures have continued to reduce in recent weeks, and experts consider the risk of onward spread by vectors in the south-east, East Anglia, the south-west and the north-east to be very low (event is rare but cannot be excluded). There is however still a risk that animals can get infected from already infected midges or from infected germinal products.

The risk of incursion of bluetongue virus (including serotypes not currently circulating in England) from all routes remains at medium (occurs regularly) although the risk of airborne incursion is now low (event is rare but does occur).

Control zones

Check if you’re in a zone on the bluetongue zone map (https://defra.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=514ec88edec74575958d860f0196d2ea).

Read the details of each zone (https://www.gov.uk/animal-disease-cases-england?disease_type%5B%5D=bluetongue).

Wales: country-wide restricted zone from 10 November

An all-Wales restricted zone (https://www.gov.wales/bluetongue-virus-current-restrictions#All-Walesrestrictedzone) was introduced from 00:01am on 10 November 2025. This has the following effects:
- end of temporary control zone - the temporary control zone and its restrictions have ended
- end of premises-level restrictions - individual premises across Wales are no longer subject to bluetongue-specific movement or control restrictions
- free movement of livestock - livestock movements between England and Wales no longer require bluetongue vaccination or mitigation measures
- continued restrictions on germinal products - you must continue to test donor animals before freezing and marketing germinal products, as this provides quality assurance and reduces the risk of longer-term bluetongue transmission
England: country-wide restricted zone

The whole of England is in a bluetongue restricted zone. You can move animals within England without a specific bluetongue licence or pre-movement testing.

You need a specific licence to freeze germinal products (semen, ova and embryo) anywhere in England and testing is required. Keepers are responsible for the cost of sampling, postage and testing. There is more detail in the declaration (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6862b20fb466cce1bb121a56/Extended_RZ_declaration_whole_England_20250630_Final.pdf).

Moving animals and animal products

Find out about:
- moving animals within the restricted zone (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/bluetongue-movement-licences-and-designated-slaughterhouses)
- general licences to move animals and germinal product from the restricted zone to Scotland or Wales (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bluetongue-licences-to-move-animals-from-the-restricted-zone-to-scotland-or-wales-exd603-exd608)
- moving, freezing and storing germinal product (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/restrictions-on-germinal-product-from-bluetongue-susceptible-animals)
Vaccination and biosecurity

Find out about:
- BTV-3 vaccination (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/bluetongue-serotype-3-btv-3-vaccination)
- how to slow the spread of bluetongue (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/bluetongue-how-to-prevent-it-and-stop-it-spreading)
Livestock identification and movement rules

Find out about:
- keeping cattle, bison and buffalo in England and Wales (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/keeping-cattle-bison-and-buffalo-in-england-and-wales)
- keeping sheep and goats in England (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/keeping-sheep-and-goats-in-england)
- keeping deer in England: tagging, movement and record keeping rules (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/deer-keepers-tagging-deer-and-reporting-their-movements)
Contact the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/contact-apha) if you keep camelids (such as llamas or alpacas) or you’re unsure about the rules.

Importing animals and animal products

Check the rules on imports, exports and EU trade of animals and animal products (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/imports-and-exports-of-animals-and-animal-products-topical-issues).

Webinars, leaflets, videos and posters

Watch recordings of bluetongue webinars (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/animal-diseases-plan-prevent-and-protect-webinars).

Find leaflets, videos and posters about bluetongue (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bluetongue-leaflets-videos-and-posters).

Defra’s bluetongue control strategy

Defra controls cases of bluetongue by following the Bluetongue: disease control framework in England (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bluetongue-disease-control-framework-in-england).

Historical cases

The first cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 (BTV-3) of the 2025 to 2026 vector season was confirmed on 11 July 2025.

Prior to this Defra confirmed 160 BTV-3 cases in England and 2 from high risk moves in Wales between 26 August 2024 and 31 May 2025. One case of bluetongue virus serotype 12 (BTV-12) was confirmed in England on 7 February 2025 Giving a total of 163 cases.

Between November 2023 and March 2024 Defra confirmed 126 BTV-3 cases in England on 73 premises (119 cattle and 7 sheep). These BTV-3 cases were the first UK BTV incursions for over 15 years. Prior to these cases the last confirmed outbreak of bluetongue was an outbreak of bluetongue virus serotype 8 (BTV-8), which took place over 2007 to 2008.