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UK bluetongue cases top 1,000
Case figures revealed at latest weekly webinar, where farmers in Scotland were also urged to plan ahead amid the prospect of the virus posing a longer-term threat.
Allister Webb
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A map was shown at the webinar last night (9 September). The red triangles are confirmed cases in the UK since July 2026, with the blues a heatmap of activity. Source: Animal and Plant Health Agency
The number of confirmed incidents during the UK’s current bluetongue season has now exceeded 1,000, according to latest official figures.
A total of 42 new cases were reported in the latest daily update for Tuesday 8 September, taking the total since the start of July to 1,015.
Meanwhile, a further 2,217 suspected incidents remain under investigation, although that total has fallen in the past few days.
Scotland rules
The new data was released ahead of the implementation of new animal movement rules in Scotland today (10 September), including a formal restricted zone in the south-west of the country.
All 21 Scottish cases so far have been recorded in Dumfries and Galloway.
Speaking at the latest AHDB-hosted webinar yesterday (9 September), Scottish Government veterinary advisor Estevao Simoes said the disease’s spread was “inevitable” but could be slowed and mitigated.
‘Buy time’
He reiterated other senior clinicians’ support for vaccination in the past few weeks, adding: “Our policy is to buy keepers as much time as possible to prepare.”
Meanwhile, Alistair Padkin, of Nithsdale Farm Vets, which runs four practices in Dumfriesshire and Ayrshire, said around half of their farms were now vaccinated, though he estimated they had only sold around half the volume this year than in 2025.
He said they were “buying excess vaccine from across Europe” as he acknowledged current challenges in securing supply.
Orders for 2027
But he reported the practice was also taking “a lot of orders” for 2027 as he warned farms could be affected earlier if the virus overwinters in northern England.
Bruce McConachie, head of industry development for Quality Meat Scotland, also urged farmers to be “proactive” about including vaccination in their long-term health planning.
He said: “It’s not going to be done after this year. It’s something we’re going to have to live with.”