Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency updated the official Bluetongue: latest situation on 1 November 2025. The tally for the 2025 vector season stands at 154 confirmed cases across Great Britain: 141 in England and 13 in Wales, with none in Scotland. Of the English total, 136 were BTV‑3 only, one was BTV‑8 only, and four involved animals positive for both BTV‑3 and BTV‑8. The 1 November update recorded new detections after clinical reports in Staffordshire, Leicestershire, Kent and Cornwall, and routine surveillance in Cornwall where one animal was BTV‑3 positive and another BTV‑8 positive.
The risk picture has shifted with falling temperatures. Officials assess the likelihood of onward midge‑borne spread as very low in the south‑east, East Anglia, the south‑west and the north‑east. The overall risk of further incursion into England from all routes remains medium, while airborne incursion is considered low.
In England, the restricted zone has covered the entire country since 1 July 2025. Moves within England do not require a specific bluetongue licence or pre‑movement testing; they are authorised under general licence EXD612(E) for movements to other holdings, markets, shows and slaughterhouses. Slaughterhouses in England do not need to be designated for bluetongue purposes.
Cross‑border movements remain regulated by Defra’s general licences. Current instruments include EXD603(E) for moves to slaughter in Wales, EXD661(E) for vaccinated animals to live in Wales, EXD662(E) for movements to live in Scotland, and EXD656(SW) and EXD658(GB) covering germinal product. The PCR testing window linked to EXD658(GB) was widened to 6–34 days post‑collection on 8 October 2025. Receiving‑nation conditions in Scotland and Wales continue to apply alongside these licences.
Freezing semen, ova or embryos anywhere in England requires either a specific licence or use of a designated premises, with mandatory post‑collection testing of donor animals. Current options are PCR sampling 6 to 28 days after collection, or ELISA 28 to 60 days after collection; ELISA is not suitable for vaccinated animals. Keepers bear the cost of sampling, postage and testing, and product must be quarantined and clearly labelled until negative results are returned.
Wales will move from a temporary control zone model to an all‑Wales Restricted Zone on Sunday 10 November 2025. The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs set out that cooler‑season conditions mean midge transmission is very unlikely after that date. The switch will revoke the TCZ and premises‑level restrictions, end BTV‑3‑specific culling, permit free livestock movement between England and Wales without bluetongue vaccination or other mitigation, retain germinal‑product testing controls, and keep Scottish import rules in place for moves from Wales.
Vaccination remains a central mitigation tool. Three BTV‑3 vaccines - Bluevac‑3, Bultavo 3 and SYVAZUL BTV 3 - are available for use in Great Britain. In England, use is permitted under a general licence with reporting requirements, and trade restrictions still apply to vaccinated animals. Pre‑movement testing should not be carried out until seven days after vaccination to avoid interference with monitoring.
Public health guidance is unchanged: bluetongue affects ruminants and camelids but does not affect human health or food safety.
Analysis: The immediate operational priority is compliant movement planning and accurate records. English holdings should ensure movements remain within the restricted zone or meet the relevant cross‑border licence conditions, particularly for breeding sales and winter relocations. Operators collecting or freezing semen, ova or embryos should plan sampling windows early to meet post‑collection PCR/ELISA requirements, especially for repeated collections. Welsh keepers should prepare for the 10 November switch to a national restricted zone and review consignments accordingly. Checking Defra’s case map and the zone map before dispatch remains good practice.