28 Jul 2025
Officials have warned there is “active infection” based on initial cases during the current virus season in England.
Allister Webb
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Image: Nathan McClunie / Adobe Stock
Farmers and clinicians who are yet to vaccinate their flocks and herds against bluetongue have been urged to do so now before the latest round of infections peaks.
The plea came as the latest AHDB webinar on the virus warned of a likely “active infection” based on the cases reported so far this season.
As of 28 July, seven cases of the BTV-3 strain have been confirmed in England since the existing restricted zone was extended to the whole country at the start of the month.
Defra head of exotic disease control Gordon Hickman told the 23 July session they were thought to be a result of “over-wintering of the virus”, rather than windborne incursion.
He added: “That does mean that there is the likelihood that we’ve got disease in midges and so circulating in those areas.
“As the temperatures increase and we get more cases, then that will only increase.”
Mr Hickman also told the session that modelling indicated case levels would peak during September.
With current vaccines thought to take several weeks to provide full immunity, vet Sara Pedersen argued that means time is of the essence.
She said: “We can’t wait until this builds up if we want to get the most out of these vaccines and to get that protection in.”
Miss Pedersen is also part of the Wales Animal Health and Welfare Framework Group, which has been mounting a campaign to encourage farmers to have their animals vaccinated against the virus.
She said there was “real concern” about the potential impact of the virus in high density areas near the English border following the extension of the restricted zone.
She also slammed the “huge amount of misinformation” that had circulated about the virus and that it is feared initially undermined the uptake of vaccines.
She called for farmers who have vaccinated their herds to share their stories and help encourage others to do so and urged all producers to make decisions based on fact.
She said: “We cannot vaccinate today and expect animals to be fully protected tomorrow. We’ve got to be ahead of the virus and vaccinate and give time for that immunity to build up.”
