The Impacts of Bluetongue (BTV)
Since July 2025, there have been 272 cases of Bluetongue (BTV) in the UK, with 251 cases in England, 21 cases in Wales, and 4 cases in Northern Ireland. There have been no cases in Scotland. These outbreaks have resulted in movement restriction zones. For the latest information on restricted zones you can visit the gov.scot website.
Bluetongue cases have been on the rise in England in recent years, highlighting major concerns among farmers, scientists and decision-makers. While Scotland has remained free of cases, research by the James Hutton Institute in collaboration with SRUC has highlighted the risk of potential incursions and the concerns of livestock keepers about both the direct and indirect impacts of BTV.
Vaccination is the most effective way to protect your stock against Bluetongue. Data suggests that the proportion of Scottish livestock that have been vaccinated to date is still quite low, which means a large proportion of the national herd and flock is susceptible to the virus. If should discuss vaccination with your vet. AHDB have developed an interactive vaccination cost calculator to help calculate the costs associated with vaccinating livestock and how much it could potentially save you.
The measures in place to limit the impact of the disease and restriction zones is potentially incurring a financial and emotional burden on Scottish farmers and members of the livestock sector. Understanding the concerns of people impacted by the restriction zone, and a potential incursion into Scotland, will help inform policy makers and other relevant bodies in decision making when dealing with BTV, and enable a better understanding of how the livestock sector sees the threat of disease incursions.
A new survey has been launched by scientists from EPIC (Centre of Expertise on Animal Disease Outbreaks) and The James Hutton Institute to gather cattle and sheep keepers’ perceptions and concerns around Bluetongue Virus (BTV). While the priority is to gather data from livestock keepers in the Scottish borders, all participants from across Scotland are encouraged to complete the survey as their views are valuable to understanding the whole scenario.
Using scenario planning, the Scottish Government regularly evaluates epidemiological evidence produced by EPIC in the form of risk assessments, movement analyses, and mathematical model simulations to make decisions on disease control.
Nicole Moll, EPIC (Centre of Expertise on Animal Disease Outbreaks)
Posted by SAC Consulting on 19/01/2026
