The latest reported figures show there has been 237 confirmed cases of bluetongue in Britain since July 2025.

England has had the majority, with 222 cases, of which 213 are BTV-3. There has also been one case of BTV-8 and eight cases where both serotypes of the disease were found on a farm. In Wales, there has been 15 cases of BTV-3 detected to date. Scotland has no cases.

Despite having three different BTV-3 vaccines approved for use in Britain for over a year, uptake is low and the percentage of ruminant livestock that have been vaccinated is unclear.

Vets in Britain report that farmers are more likely to vaccinate breeding males, dairy cows, and replacement females, than livestock nearing the end of their production cycle.

Experts recommend avoiding vaccination during the first three weeks of pregnancy and within six weeks of breeding for stock bulls and rams.

Like any sheep or cattle vaccine, there will be maternal transfer of immunity through colostrum to lambs and calves, which will protect newborns. This immunity will wane over the first few months of life, and lambs and calves will require their own vaccination for long-term protection.

The timing of this vaccination is important, as maternal antibodies can inhibit the vaccine. Manufacturers recommend waiting 1–3 months before vaccinating lambs and calves (depending on the vaccine used).

At a recent webinar organised by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, one issue that was highlighted is recent reports of some very poor sheep scanning results in early lambing flocks.