We have been receiving an increasing number of calls asking what to do about Bluetongue prevention this season, so we wanted to provide an update on the current situation.
The situation has changed significantly compared to this time last year. In 2025, Bluetongue was a new disease for the UK and we were largely relying on the experience of neighbouring countries, where severe clinical signs were reported in cattle and high mortality was seen in sheep.
Over the past 12 months we have now seen cases of Bluetongue in both sheep and cattle within the practice. In addition, APHA surveillance has confirmed that the virus has been widespread across counties along the south coast.
Within affected herds and flocks, the number of positive animals has varied considerably — from just a few individuals to situations where all animals sampled tested positive.
There was a good uptake of vaccination last year, particularly in breeding stock. Most of our dairy clients chose to vaccinate. This may have reduced or masked some clinical signs, and we have not seen the severe sheep losses reported on the continent.
However, we are now starting to see dummy and deformed calves being born in unvaccinated animals, which is a recognised consequence of infection during pregnancy.
We are also concerned about the potential impact of Bluetongue infection in breeding males. Infection has the potential to cause a breeding disaster, and there are reports that Bluetongue virus can have longer-term effects on male fertility. In contrast, Bluetongue vaccines have been shown to have no negative effect on male fertility and have been widely used safely within the practice.
Whether to vaccinate or not ultimately depends on your own perception of risk. However, with calf and store prices currently at high levels, and the vaccine costing approximately £2.50 per dose, the loss of a single calf would easily cover the cost of vaccinating all breeding stock.
The VMD (Defra) is currently reviewing requests from pharmaceutical companies to update vaccine datasheets, as we do not yet know whether a single booster vaccination will be sufficient for ongoing protection.
We also understand that vaccine prices are likely to increase slightly next month.
If you would like to discuss vaccination plans for your herd or flock, please contact the practice and we will be happy to advise.
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