5 Aug 2026
Senior clinicians and industry leaders have made their strongest appeals yet for farmers to protect their herds and flocks against bluetongue amid a further increase in confirmed cases.
Allister Webb
Job Title
Clinical signs of bluetongue in a sheep. Image: Torch Vets
Farmers will be “gambling” with the health of their herds and flocks if they decide not to vaccinate against bluetongue, a senior government vet has warned.
Latest figures show the number of confirmed BTV-3 incidents in England and Wales has risen to 134 since the start of July, with 29 reported yesterday alone.
Officials and industry leaders reiterated their plea for farmers to vaccinate their animals at a media briefing today, 5 August, amid fears of substantially reduced take-up so far this year.
Scotland’s CVO Sheila Voas said: “I think anybody not vaccinating is gambling with the health and welfare of their flocks and herds.
“It’s important that people consider their own circumstances and talk to their own private vets, but my working assumption is vaccinate unless there’s a good reason not to.”
According to the data released through Defra and the APHA, nearly half (64) of the confirmed incidents so far have been recorded in Devon, with a further 29 in Somerset and 23 in Cornwall.
Only 16 incidents have been confirmed outside the south-west of England and the CVO of Wales, Richard Irvine, said: “This is the early warning signal, the big red flag. It’s not too late to vaccinate.”
Further updates are set to be provided at an AHDB-hosted webinar later this afternoon. More coverage will follow in Vet Times 56.32.