The first ever detection of the bluetongue virus in Scotland was announced along with 17 further confirmed cases across Britain last weekend, with all but one of these cases concerning sheep.

It should be noted that Britain’s Department of Environment, Rural Affairs and Agriculture (DEARA) is generally testing just three animals per farm, meaning that the number of infected animals may be higher than the number of cases confirmed through lab testing.

There are currently 1,527 further possible cases of bluetongue under investigation by DAERA on premises that have reported suspected clinical signs of the virus.

The 2026-2027 bluetongue outbreak season, which began in July, has seen the bluetongue serotype-3 virus detected on 289 farms, the majority of which were located in southwest England.

Of these farms, 163 were in Devon and 63 in Cornwall – the two most southwesterly counties in Britain.

The vast majority of confirmed cases came as a result of testing animals showing suspected signs of the disease.

Scotland’s first

The suspected Scottish case was confirmed after a lamb in Dumfries and Galloway that was isolated for presenting with gut issues was tested after a vet found ulcers.

The farm, located in the southwest of Scotland, moved all stock indoors to help prevent the virus spreading and epidemiological investigations are ongoing to establish the likely source of infection.

Britain’s National Farming Union has welcomed a push by the manufacturers of bluetongue vaccines to ramp up availability in light of the recent uptick in cases.

“To reduce the risk, farmers are also moving high-risk or non-vaccinated stock away from wet, low-lying or sheltered areas,” said Clare Wise, the NFU’s acting livestock board chair, last week.

“They are also keeping vulnerable animals housed during dawn and dusk when midge activity peaks, all of which is added pressure on farmers and forage stocks during this challenging dry weather period.”