Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency have updated the national bluetongue briefing. As at 20 December 2025, Great Britain has recorded 264 cases this season since July: 243 in England and 21 in Wales, with none in Scotland. England’s tally includes 235 BTV‑3 only, one BTV‑8 only, and seven mixed BTV‑3/BTV‑8 detections. Fifteen BTV‑3 cases were added between 16 and 19 December across Kent, Cornwall, Cheshire, Powys, Derbyshire, Wrexham, Somerset, Hampshire, Buckinghamshire, Greater Manchester and Cumbria.
The latest confirmations reflect a mix of clinical reports, private testing and routine surveillance. Examples include a newborn calf in Cumbria with neurological signs, a bovine with fever and facial swelling in Greater Manchester, fertility‑related testing in Buckinghamshire, and multiple routine finds in Kent, Somerset and Hampshire.
Officials assess the current risk of onward spread by midges in the south‑east, East Anglia, the south‑west and the north‑east as negligible following cooler temperatures. The overall risk of further incursion from all routes remains medium, though airborne incursion is now considered negligible. Infection can still occur from previously infected midges and from infected germinal products.
Control measures remain national in scope. The whole of England is a bluetongue restricted zone. Movements of susceptible animals within England do not need a bluetongue‑specific licence or pre‑movement tests. Freezing germinal products anywhere in England requires a specific licence and post‑collection testing, with sampling, postage and testing costs met by the keeper.
Wales has operated an all‑Wales restricted zone since 00:01 on 10 November. Premises‑level restrictions and the previous temporary control zone have been lifted, and livestock can move between England and Wales without bluetongue vaccination or mitigation measures. Testing requirements continue for donor animals before freezing and marketing germinal products to reduce long‑term transmission risk.
Movements out of England’s restricted zone to Scotland or Wales are governed by general licences. Recent updates include provisions for movements to slaughter, specified sales near the Scottish border, and consignments from sales or collection centres to destinations in Wales, alongside testing windows for designated‑premises germinal products. Keepers must check the correct document for their route and purpose before moving stock.
Germinal product rules are strict. Fresh or frozen product may move within the English restricted zone if the donor shows no signs of disease; moving product to Scotland or Wales requires a licence. Freezing in the restricted zone needs either a specific licence or use of a designated premises, and donors must meet post‑collection PCR or ELISA testing windows before product is released.
Northern Ireland is managing confirmed BTV‑3 findings in County Down under a DAERA‑declared Temporary Control Zone. From 19 December, movements within and out of the TCZ are permitted under general licence for most animals, with additional requirements for defined high‑risk categories. Northern Ireland’s bluetongue‑free status was suspended on 29 November, affecting exports of susceptible animals and some products.
Vaccination remains available across the UK. In England, use of BTV‑3 vaccine is under a general licence with a legal duty on keepers to report vaccinations within 48 hours; private veterinary surgeons have separate reporting duties. Guidance sets out products currently authorised and notes that trade restrictions still apply to vaccinated animals.
Practical steps for keepers include checking the official map to confirm zone status, working with vets on targeted vaccination, and maintaining robust biosecurity during purchases and gatherings. Suspect disease must be reported immediately to APHA in England, or the equivalent services in the devolved administrations, given bluetongue’s status as a notifiable disease.
For identification and routine movement compliance, keepers should follow the published cattle, sheep, goat and deer rules and contact APHA for camelid queries. These requirements sit alongside bluetongue‑specific controls and remain enforceable during the restricted‑zone period.
Context remains important. The 2025–26 vector season began with the first BTV‑3 cases confirmed on 11 July 2025. Prior to this season, Defra recorded 163 cases between August 2024 and May 2025, including one BTV‑12 case, and 126 BTV‑3 cases during November 2023 to March 2024, the first UK incursions in over 15 years. The last BTV‑8 outbreak was in 2007–08.