MPs challenge bluetongue response as cases near 1,000
Nearly 1,000 cases of bluetongue have now been confirmed across Britain, as MPs demand answers over the UK’s handling of the outbreak.
The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRA) has written to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate and the Animal and Plant Health Agency over concerns about vaccine availability, testing delays and communication with farmers and vets.
The letter, sent to the agencies’ chief executives on Tuesday 8 September, asks for a detailed explanation of how prepared the UK was for the outbreak and how the response has been managed.
The latest figures show 973 cases of bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) in the 2026/27 season, including 841 in England, 111 in Wales and 21 in Scotland.
No cases have been recorded in Northern Ireland, while there have also been no confirmed cases of bluetongue serotype 8 (BTV-8) this season.
EFRA Committee chair Alistair Carmichael MP said: “This has been a summer of heartbreak and anxiety for farmers and livestock keepers who fear for the wellbeing of their animals as much as the viability of their businesses.”
He said livestock businesses were already under pressure from drought, heatwaves and wildfires when bluetongue began to spread.
“There is widespread sentiment that our state agencies have been asleep at the wheel, and that more could and should have been done before and during this outbreak.”
The committee has also pointed to a National Audit Office report published in June 2025, before the current outbreak, which warned that the UK risked being caught off guard by a major animal disease event.
Carmichael said: “We now want to understand what was done in response to that report, what plans were in place, why vaccine and testing capacity have been so limited, and what lessons have been learnt along the way.”
The committee is seeking more detail on how vaccine supplies were managed, whether testing capacity was sufficient and how advice was communicated to farmers, veterinarians and livestock markets.
Bluetongue is spread by midges and can affect sheep, cattle, goats, deer, llamas and alpacas.
The disease can be fatal in some animals, and there are concerns cases could continue through the remainder of the midge season before colder autumn and winter temperatures reduce activity.
MPs are now pressing the VMD and APHA to explain what measures were in place before the outbreak, why vaccine and testing capacity were limited and what changes will be made to improve preparedness in future.