BLUETONGUE LATEST NEWS – APHA POLICY CHANGE TODAY!

From today (11^th Sept), where there are clear clinical signs, private vets will be able to diagnose bluetongue after examining affected animals, with cases formally confirmed by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). This will mean fewer straightforward cases need to wait for laboratory results, giving farmers an answer sooner and helping them take quicker action to protect livestock. There have been 1048 cases of bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) in the UK in the 2026 to 2027 bluetongue season. A case is defined as a premises on which at least one bluetongue positive animal has been confirmed. 33 new cases were declared as of 9^th Sept. None were declared within our Network areas. To date there has been 11 declared cases in Cumbria, 1 in Northumberland and 6 in North Yorkshire, however we are aware that there remains a significant lag in the testing process. Read more here Bluetongue Response