8 Jan 2024
Three cattle in Kent, plus five in Norfolk, are the latest to be affected by the virus, though the areas currently covered by animal movement restrictions are not being extended.
Allister Webb
Job Title
Temporary control zones in Norfolk and Kent.
Eight new bluetongue cases have been confirmed within existing disease control zones in Kent and Norfolk.
The discoveries reported over recent days take the total number of animals affected by the virus to 44 since the present outbreak began in November.
But the areas currently covered by movement restrictions are not being extended and officials say there remains no sign of the virus spreading among midge populations.
After the first case of the new year was reported in Kent on Thursday (4 January), three more infections were confirmed in the Deal area of the county on Friday.
A further case was reported within the Norfolk temporary control zone (TCZ) on the same day, with details of four more being released yesterday (7 January). All affected animals are being culled to prevent further transmission.
The latest infections all occurred in cattle, and a total of 24 separate premises have now been affected by the virus.
