Bluetongue in Great Britain: cases, rules, 1 Nov 2025
Here is the picture as of Saturday 1 November 2025. Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency report 154 bluetongue cases across Great Britain since July: 141 in England and 13 in Wales. Most detections are the BTV‑3 strain, with a smaller number involving BTV‑8. Scotland has recorded none to date.
The latest update notes new BTV‑3 infections in England following clinical reports in Staffordshire, Leicestershire, Kent and Cornwall. Routine surveillance in Cornwall also found two cattle on the same premises infected with different strains: one BTV‑3 and one BTV‑8.
If you are new to this topic, bluetongue is a viral disease of ruminants such as sheep and cattle. It spreads via biting midges rather than animal‑to‑animal contact. It does not affect people and does not compromise food safety.
Temperature shapes risk because midges feed and breed when it is mild. In winter and cooler spells, activity tails off, and authorities describe a seasonally low period for vector activity. As conditions warm, midges bite more often and the virus completes its development inside the insect faster, shortening the time before a midge can pass it on.
Because temperatures have eased, officials judge the chance of onward spread by midges in areas like the south‑east, East Anglia, the south‑west and the north‑east to be very low just now. Infections can still arise from midges already carrying the virus or from infected semen or embryos. Overall risk of new introductions into England remains medium, while the specific risk from windborne spread is low.
Zones help everyone understand what movements are allowed. England has been within one all‑England Restricted Zone since 1 July 2025, which means routine moves within England no longer need a specific bluetongue licence or pre‑movement test. A Temporary Control Zone was created around a Monmouthshire premises on 1 October. You can check whether a farm, smallholding or market sits inside a zone using the official zone map and the Defra case map.
Wales will switch to an all‑Wales Restricted Zone on 10 November. The Monmouthshire Temporary Control Zone will be revoked, premises‑level restrictions will end, and routine livestock movements between England and Wales will no longer require bluetongue vaccination or extra mitigation. Testing rules for germinal products continue, and any moves to Scotland must follow Scottish Government licensing and testing requirements.
If you are planning moves, here is the simple read‑across. Within England, moves inside the all‑England Restricted Zone no longer need a specific bluetongue licence or pre‑movement testing. Moves from England’s Restricted Zone into Scotland or Wales run under general licences with set conditions, so speak to your vet, market or haulier early to check paperwork.
Work with your vet on breeding material. Freezing or marketing semen, ova or embryos in England still requires a specific licence and donor testing, and keepers cover the sampling, postage and laboratory costs. These safeguards reduce the risk of bluetongue persisting through stored products.
Vaccination against BTV‑3 is now part of the toolkit; your private vet can advise on availability and timing for your flock or herd. On farm, good records, quarantining new arrivals, and reducing midge contact around housing and water points help slow spread alongside official controls.
To stay informed, use the Defra case map to see confirmed premises and the zone map to plan movements. If you are studying animal health, those maps show how authorities draw boundaries around risk rather than around counties, and how those boundaries change with the season.
Bluetongue is notifiable. If you see suspect signs-such as fever, drooling, swelling around the mouth or lameness-use the GOV.UK guidance to report to APHA promptly. Quick reporting protects flocks and herds and helps keep trade moving. And remember, this disease does not affect human health or food safety.