Defra has warned farmers to prepare for bluetongue to remain a threat into 2027
Livestock producers are being urged to vaccinate early after Defra warned bluetongue is likely to remain a threat next year, as the number of affected premises across the UK rises above 1,500.
Defra has warned livestock farmers that bluetongue is likely to return in 2027, as the number of affected premises climbs to 1,517.
Latest government figures show 1,326 affected premises in England, 159 in Wales and 32 in Scotland during the 2026-27 season, with no confirmed cases in Northern Ireland.
A further 1,465 suspected premises are currently under investigation in Great Britain, meaning the number of farms potentially affected could rise considerably further.
The warning over next year came in a written parliamentary answer published on 18 September.
Responding to a question from Conservative South West Devon MP Rebecca Smith about Defra's long-term strategy to prevent bluetongue becoming an annual cycle of infection and production losses, farming minister Stephen Morgan said the disease would “likely recur in 2027”.
He said early vaccination was the best way to protect livestock against reproductive and production losses, adding that farmers should discuss vaccination with their vet.
Defra is also continuing to support the industry-led Battle Bluetongue campaign and said it was working with the sector to strengthen longer-term preparedness and resilience.
The warning comes as this season's outbreak has already grown to more than four times the scale of the previous Great Britain season.
There were 348 affected premises in Great Britain during 2025-26, including 324 in England and 24 in Wales. No cases were recorded in Scotland during that season.
By comparison, the current total has reached 1,517 premises since the first case of the 2026-27 outbreak was confirmed on 10 July.
The latest government update added 48 affected premises in England and another 13 in Wales.
The additional English cases were recorded in Cornwall, Devon and Somerset, with 35 involving sheep and 13 involving cattle.
In Wales, 10 of the latest cases involved sheep and three involved cattle, while no additional cases were reported in Scotland in the latest update.
Devon remains the centre of the English outbreak, with 672 affected premises, followed by Cornwall with 194 and Somerset with 107.
Government figures show the disease has been detected in sheep, cattle, alpacas, llamas and goats since the start of July.
Officials have cautioned that the number of individual animals affected is likely to be significantly higher than reported because testing does not always include every susceptible animal on a premises.
Defra said temperatures remain consistently high enough in many parts of the UK and nearby continental Europe for the virus to develop inside the midges that spread the disease, allowing onward transmission to continue.
Bluetongue restricted zones are currently in place across the whole of England and Wales, as well as an area of south-west Scotland around Dumfries and Galloway. The Scottish restricted zone was introduced on 10 September.
The government's warning that bluetongue is likely to recur next year puts increasing focus on vaccination and longer-term disease management rather than treating the current outbreak as a one-season event.
Farmers are being encouraged to remain vigilant for clinical signs, report suspected cases and speak to their vet about vaccination ahead of the 2027 season.