No information is available about the vaccination status of herds or flocks affected by bluetongue in England, the Department of Agriculture has said.

Sheep flocks have been most affected by the surge in bluetongue serotype-3 (BTV-3) cases in southwest England since the start of July.

While no new cases (infected this season since July) have been confirmed in Ireland to date, the Department has warned that if weather conditions supportive of midge migration occur across the Irish sea, there is a possibility of infective midges being blown across again from England and Wales, as happened last autumn.

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On Wednesday, 53 new cases of BTV-3 were confirmed in England, 50 sheep and three cattle.

All cases presented with clinical signs typical of those seen in recent cases, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

There have been 183 cases of bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) in England and four cases in Wales so far in the 2026-2027 bluetongue season, with no cases in Scotland or Northern Ireland, DEFRA has said.

No cases of bluetongue serotype 8 (BTV-8) have been recorded in the 2026-2027 bluetongue season.

Vaccination

Here, the Department of Agriculture has advised any suspect animals be reported to the Regional Veterinary Office and is encouraging farmers who have not yet vaccinated their stock to do so.

Vaccination can reduce viraemia and the risk of further spread and it takes approximately six weeks for cattle and three weeks for sheep to develop full immunity.