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 333 cases of bluetongue in Great Britain in the 2025 to 2026 bluetongue season (since 1 July 2025). In:
- England, there have been 310 cases of bluetongue – including 299 cases of only BTV-3, 4 cases of only BTV-8 and 7 cases with both BTV-3 and BTV-8
- Wales, there have been 23 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 5 confirmed cases of BTV-3 in Northern Ireland.
Latest updates
14 April 2026
One new case of BTV-3 was confirmed in England on 14 April 2026 following a report of suspicious clinical signs:
- 1 calf in Cornwall born blind with neurological signs
10 April 2026
One new case of BTV-3 was confirmed in Wales on 10 April 2026 following a report of suspicious clinical signs:
- 1 calf in Powys with convulsions, star gazing and deafness – post mortem examination revealed brain cavitation
8 April 2026
One new case of BTV-3 was confirmed in England on 8 April 2026 following a report of suspicious clinical signs:
- 1 calf in Devon born with neurological signs and poor sucking reflex
1 April 2026
Two new cases of BTV-3 were confirmed in England on 1 April 2026 following a report of suspicious clinical signs:
- 1 calf in Gloucestershire born blind and little to no suck reflex
- 1 cow in Cornwall tested following birth of 3 dummy calves in the same herd over the past 2 weeks – all died within 24 hours
27 March 2026
One new case of BTV-3 was confirmed in England on 27 March 2026 following a report of suspicious clinical signs:
- 1 calf in West Yorkshire tested following the finding of brain deformities at postmortem – born alive but lethargic and did not feed
24 March 2026
One new case of BTV-8 was confirmed in England on 24 March 2026 following a report of suspicious clinical signs:
- 1 cow in East Sussex tested following a late term abortion/stillbirth
23 March 2026
One new case of BTV-3 was confirmed in England on 23 March 2026 following a report of suspicious clinical signs:
- 1 calf in Lancashire born blind
20 March 2026
Three new cases of BTV-3 were confirmed in England on 20 March 2026 following a report of suspicious clinical signs:
- 2 calves in Hampshire had neurological signs including star gazing and head tilt
- 2 cows in Cumbria tested following reports of decreased fertility and the birth of a blind calf
- 1 calf in Staffordshire born dull – small and weak and failed to adapt
19 March 2026
One new case of BTV-3 was confirmed in England on 19 March 2026 following a report of suspicious clinical signs:
- 1 calf in Kent born with head and neck malformation and blindness – crusty lesions around muzzle and failed to thrive
One new case of BTV-8 was confirmed in England on 19 March 2026 following a report of suspicious clinical signs:
- 1 calf in Cornwall born with neurological signs, involuntary eye movement and discolouration around the muzzle
Risk level
Temperatures are increasing, but experts consider the risk of onward spread by vectors in England to be negligible. There is however still a risk that animals can get infected 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.
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.
Wales: country-wide restricted zone
An all-Wales restricted zone was introduced from 00:01am on 10 November 2025. This has the following effects:
- 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
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.