The first cases of bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) in Wales during 2025 were confirmed on Friday 26 September, marking almost a year since BTV-3 was last identified in the country.
It means that across the 2025 to 2026 vector season (since July 2025), the total number of BTV-3 cases in Britain now stands at 87 — with 83 cases in England and four in Wales.
On 26 September one new case of BTV-3 was confirmed in a suckler cow in Monmouthshire, following reports of suspicious clinical signs. Another case was confirmed in a bovine in Powys, following a non-negative post-movement test.
In line with the Welsh bluetongue control plan, the infected cattle were culled to reduce the risk of virus transmission to local midge populations.
On 30 September, two further cases were confirmed in Wales; one in a suckler cow in Powys following reports of suspicious clinical signs, and another in a 4-month-old calf located on a Powys premises linked to a previously confirmed case.
The UK Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has said investigations are ongoing to determine the source of the virus and the possibility of active disease circulating in Wales.
BTV-8
Meanwhile, one case of bluetongue serotype 8 (BTV-8) has been confirmed in a single sheep in Cornwall following reports of suspicious clinical signs. This is the first confirmed case of BTV-8 in the UK since 2008.
In recent weeks, veterinary experts in England have been encouraging farmers to report any suspicions of bluetongue in order to establish the full extent of infection transmission.
They believe more incidences of the virus may be circulating on farms than are reflected in the official statistics.
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