Bluetongue in Great Britain: 200 cases by 18 Nov 2025
If you teach or study animal health, here’s the picture you need today. Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency report 200 bluetongue cases across Great Britain since July 2025: 187 in England and 13 in Wales, with none in Scotland. The official GOV.UK case map shows where positives have been detected. Updated: 18 November 2025.
New confirmations on 17 November came from clinical reports, private tests and routine surveillance. Cases were identified in Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Herefordshire and on the Isle of Wight. On the island, different cattle tested positive for two types: BTV‑3 and BTV‑8. What this means: multiple serotypes are being found in parallel, so local vets will keep testing to understand spread.
Bluetongue is a viral disease carried by biting midges, not by direct contact. It affects ruminants such as sheep and cattle, but it does not affect people or food safety. That’s why you’ll see animal movement rules change while human health advice does not. The World Organisation for Animal Health explains this clearly.
UK guidance repeats that message and adds a practical point for learners: because the virus relies on midges as vectors, weather and season shape risk. You cannot “catch” bluetongue from touching animals; the midge has to take part. Spotting and reporting quickly helps protect herds and trade.
Let’s make sense of serotypes. Think of serotypes as numbered versions of the same virus. Scientists recognise more than two dozen worldwide; different references list 26 or even 29 because classifications get updated. Crucially, protection is type‑specific, so a vaccine for one serotype does not guard against another.
The UK’s current season is dominated by BTV‑3, with isolated detections of BTV‑8 in 2025, and the 17 November update confirming both types in different animals on the Isle of Wight. Research also shows an animal can carry two serotypes at once, which is why labs pay attention to co‑infections and potential mixing of viral genes.
Risk this week is shaped by cooler weather. Defra says onward spread by midges is very low in the south‑east, East Anglia, the south‑west and the north‑east. The overall risk of the virus entering Great Britain remains medium from various routes, while the risk from wind‑borne midges is now classed as low.
Rules you’ll hear in class or on farm follow the zones. England has been a single restricted zone since 1 July 2025, which means moves within England do not need a specific bluetongue licence or pre‑movement testing. Wales moved to an all‑Wales restricted zone at 00:01 on 10 November 2025 to simplify controls.
Practically, this means day‑to‑day moves within England carry on under general licence conditions, but movements between countries, and anything involving semen, ova or embryos, follow tighter rules. For example, you may need a general licence to send animals to Scotland or Wales, and there are clear testing steps if you are freezing germinal products.
Vaccination is part of the toolkit. BTV‑3 vaccines are available under licence; your vet prescribes and you can administer. Keepers must report vaccination use within 48 hours and keep records, and vets have their own reporting duties. Movement rules are the same for vaccinated and unvaccinated animals, and pre‑movement tests should avoid the first week after jabs to prevent interference with monitoring.
Know the signs you might be taught to spot: fever, drooling, mouth or hoof inflammation and, in sheep especially, lameness or swelling around the head. Many cattle show few or no signs. If bluetongue is suspected, it is a notifiable disease-report immediately to APHA using the national numbers listed by GOV.UK.
For lesson planning or self‑study, the official case map on GOV.UK is a useful way to practise reading data: compare locations, dates and species, then ask how wind, temperature and animal movement might explain patterns. As seasons change, revisit the map and see what’s different.