Contents:
- Total number of cases
- Latest updates
- Risk level
- Control zones
- Moving animals and animal products
- Vaccination and biosecurity
- Livestock identification and movement rules
- Importing animals and animal products
- Webinars, leaflets, videos and posters
- Defra’s bluetongue control strategy
Be vigilant for signs of bluetongue and report it if you suspect it.
Total number of cases
There have been 270 cases of bluetongue in Great Britain in the 2025 bluetongue season (since July 2025). In:
- England, there have been 249 cases of bluetongue - including 241 cases of only BTV-3, 1 case of only BTV-8 and 7 cases with both BTV-3 and BTV-8
- Wales, there have been 21 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.
There are 4 confirmed cases of BTV-3 in Northern Ireland.
Latest updates
7 January 2026
One new case of BTV-3 in England was confirmed on 7 January 2026 following a report of suspicious clinical signs:
- 1 cow in Cheshire which had aborted and 1 aborted calf from a different cow.
6 January 2026
Two new cases of BTV-3 in England were confirmed on 6 January 2026 following a report of suspicious clinical signs:
- 1 cow in Devon with diarrhoea, milk drop, drooling and swollen head
- 2 cows in Cornwall both of which aborted
5 January 2026
One new case of BTV-3 in England was confirmed on 5 January 2026 following a report of suspicious clinical signs:
- 1 cow in Devon with clinical signs including abortion
23 December 2025
Two new cases of BTV-3 in England were confirmed on 23 December 2025 following routine bluetongue surveillance:
- 3 cattle in East Sussex
- 4 cattle in Kent
19 December 2025
Two new cases of BTV-3 in England were confirmed on 19 December 2025 following reports of suspicious clinical signs:
- 1 newborn calf in Cumbria with neurological signs, flexed neck and lack of sucking reflex
- 1 bovine in Greater Manchester with lethargy, fever and swollen muzzle
One new case of BTV-3 in England was confirmed on 19 December 2025 following private testing:
- 3 cows in Buckinghamshire were tested following fertility issues across the herd
Three new cases of BTV-3 in England were confirmed on 19 December 2025 following routine bluetongue surveillance:
- 2 bovines in Kent
- 1 bovine in Somerset
- 2 bovines in Hampshire
One new case of BTV-3 in Wales was confirmed on 9 December 2025 following routine bluetongue surveillance:
- 1 bovine in Wrexham
18 December 2025
One new case of BTV-3 in England was confirmed on 18 December 2025 following reports of suspicious clinical signs:
- 1 cow tested positive in Derbyshire following fertility issues and abortions across the whole herd
One new case of BTV-3 in England was confirmed on 18 December 2025 following routine bluetongue surveillance:
- 1 bovine in Cornwall
17 December 2025
One new case of BTV-3 in England was confirmed on 17 December 2025 following routine bluetongue surveillance:
- 12 cattle in Kent
One new case of BTV-3 in Wales was confirmed on 17 December 2025 following routine bluetongue surveillance:
- 1 bovine in Powys
16 December 2025
One new case of BTV-3 in England was confirmed on 16 December 2025 following reports of suspicious clinical signs:
- 1 dairy cow tested positive in Cheshire following clinical signs of fever, milk drop, abortion and lameness
Three new cases of BTV-3 in England were confirmed on 16 December 2025 following routine bluetongue surveillance:
- 2 cattle in Kent
- 3 cattle in Cornwall
- 1 bovine in Kent
13 December 2025
One new case of BTV-3 in Wales was confirmed on 13 December 2025 following routine bluetongue surveillance:
- 2 cattle in Wrexham
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 negligible. 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 negligible.
Control zones
Check if you’re in a zone on the bluetongue zone map.
Read the details of each zone.
Wales: country-wide restricted zone from 10 November
An all-Wales restricted zone 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.
Moving animals and animal products
Find out about:
- moving animals within the restricted zone
- general licences to move animals and germinal product from the restricted zone to Scotland or Wales
- moving, freezing and storing germinal product
- moving certain animals from Northern Ireland to Great Britain
Vaccination and biosecurity
Find out about:
Livestock identification and movement rules
Find out about:
- keeping cattle, bison and buffalo in England and Wales
- keeping sheep and goats in England
- keeping deer in England: tagging, movement and record keeping rules
Contact the Animal and Plant Health Agency (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.
Webinars, leaflets, videos and posters
Watch recordings of bluetongue webinars.
Find leaflets, videos and posters about bluetongue.
Defra’s bluetongue control strategy
Defra?controls cases of bluetongue by following the 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.