UK veterinary leaders urge livestock vaccination as bluetongue cases surge ahead of breeding season

Veterinary authorities in the UK are intensifying pressure on farmers to vaccinate livestock against bluetongue serotype 3 amid rising cases and the upcoming breeding season, emphasising vaccination as the primary defence against the disease.

Veterinary leaders have stepped up pressure on livestock keepers to vaccinate against bluetongue serotype 3, as cases continue to climb in England and Wales and concern grows ahead of the breeding season.

At a briefing organised by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board and the Battle Bluetongue campaign, the UK chief veterinary officer, Christine Middlemiss, said vaccination was the only practical defence against the midge-borne disease. She also sought to counter rumours that the jab affects fertility, saying the virus itself is the threat when animals develop fever.

Defra says England has recorded 214 BTV-3 cases this season, with five in Wales and none in Scotland. The disease, which affects cattle, sheep, goats and camelids, is being driven by warm weather that supports midge activity. Officials say south-west England remains a particular hotspot, but infections are now more widely dispersed.

The Welsh chief veterinary officer, Richard Irvine, warned that infected stock must not be moved and urged farmers to know the symptoms and report suspect cases. Scotland’s chief veterinary officer, Sheila Voas, said border holdings should stay alert.

Government guidance lists three permitted BTV-3 vaccines, though officials note they reduce viraemia rather than guarantee prevention of infection.