Britain’s Bluetongue outbreak has escalated to over 100 cases, sparking calls for a clearer national strategy as the virus spreads into Wales and new strains emerge.
The Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS) has called for a coherent national response to bluetongue after the virus spread further across GB, with 113 cases confirmed cases this season — 111 BTV-3 and two BTV-8 cases.
Fresh detections in Wales at the end of September prompted a Temporary Control Zone near Chepstow, with further Welsh cases confirmed in Powys the following week.
Bluetongue, spread mainly through biting midges, can also be transmitted by the movement of infected animals. It affects cattle, sheep, goats, deer and camelids such as alpacas and llamas.
Dr Jason Aldiss BEM, executive director of AIMS, said the recent escalation represented “a material escalation in both scope and complexity”.
He stressed that the rise was “not unforeseen”, following the typical seasonal pattern as midge activity increases over summer. “What is now required is not reaction but resolve,” he added.
AIMS has long warned that restrictions along the England–Wales border were inadequate. Dr Aldiss said those fears had now been realised.
“The decision to declare only a narrow temporary control zone around a single case, when there is evidence of local transmission, raises legitimate questions about proportionality and preparedness.”
He also criticised the policy of slaughtering infected animals, arguing that it “addresses neither the infected midge population nor the longer-term epidemiological risk” and may discourage farmers from reporting suspected cases.
Current policy allows limited culling on initial detection where local spread appears containable; however, once midges are transmitting locally, culling is not considered an effective control, and other mitigations take precedence.
Instead, Dr Aldiss urged “calm, evidence-based communication with farmers and veterinarians” and condemned misinformation about vaccination.
“The safety and efficacy of vaccination are well-established. What has been lacking is consistent leadership and a unified message. The illusion that Wales could somehow remain immune to infection has left many producers dangerously unprepared.”
The emergence of BTV-8 — against which current BTV-3 vaccines offer no protection — is causing particular concern. Dr Aldiss warned the UK must prepare for “the possible introduction of multiple serotypes, including BTV-1 and BTV-4, already circulating in northern Europe”.
Such a scenario, he said, could create overlapping restriction zones, disrupt animal movements and place “significant strain on rural businesses”.
Calling for immediate collaboration between government, industry and the veterinary profession, Dr Aldiss pointed to international examples of effective control.
“Jersey’s compulsory vaccination scheme, and the partially funded programmes in several northern European countries, have all proven effective in mitigating the economic and animal health consequences of bluetongue,” he said.
He concluded: “We are not powerless in the face of this disease. What is required is foresight, coordination, and courage. Farmers deserve a response that is measured, proportionate and rooted in science — not expediency.
"AIMS stands ready to work with all parties to ensure that the United Kingdom adopts a rational and resilient approach to bluetongue control.”
