Vets are urging farmers not to slacken off in the fight against bluetongue and get their animals vaccinated through autumn and winter. The east of England has been particularly badly affected by the disease, but the Senned was last month warned that bluetongue posed “a major challenge” to the Welsh farming industry.
The first cases this year were recorded in Wales in late September, and the rural affairs secretary pleaded with farmers to talk to their vet and get their animals vaccinated. The impassioned plea mirrors renewed calls for vaccination being championed by the whole farm vet profession, who have been on the frontlines of efforts to keep the disease at bay.
Conscious of financial pressures faced by farmers and determined to do all they could to help, leading veterinary group IVC Evidensia took the decision to make vaccines available both as widely and at the lowest possible cost. To date, they have seen 400,000 doses administered by practices who have been dealing with worrying numbers of cases.
But the concern is that farms will once again be hit hard over the coming months if animals aren’t vaccinated for the first time or get timely boosters. The midge-borne disease, which affects ruminants and camelids, reached the UK from Europe and it has been a serious issue over the past couple of years. The east of England was the first to be impacted and the warm, dry weather has exacerbated the spread, making it the worst hit area.
Last year, the first cases of BTV-3 were detected by vets at IVC Evidensia practice Three Rivers and Chapelfield Farm Vets in Suffolk, as a result of precautionary blood sampling and again earlier this year after concerns raised by a farmer.
“At the start of 2025 we had several months where at least one farmer every day was contacting us worried about having cases,” said Clinical Director Will Stevenson. “Because it hit here first, we were battling it when other areas hadn’t really noticed it yet.”
Sheep more commonly show clinical signs, such as respiratory issues and lameness, while infected cattle are often only detected through surveillance or after having abortions or giving birth to dummy calves. Calves born this spring already carrying the virus from last year added to the problems faced by farmers.
“On the beef side, we heard from farmers losing a third of their calves,” said Will. “That’s obviously ruinous financially, but many were scarred and upset by the emotional toll of seeing their animals so badly affected.”
Vaccines became available in the UK last autumn, and a major vaccination programme was rolled out.
“The vaccines are really effective, and we have administered more than 15,000 doses so far from our practice alone, to both sheep and cattle” said Laura Stephen, clinical director at Isle Vet Group in Ely, Cambridgeshire, also an IVC Evidensia practice.
“Most diseases can be controlled by some form of bio-security arrangements such as livestock movement, but that’s not the case with a vector-borne disease like bluetongue. So vaccination is absolutely critical.”
Centralised purchasing and targeted distribution ensured that not only did IVC Evidensia practices have adequate stock for all of their clients, they were also able to help out other vet practices facing shortages.
And Will and Laura were among vets from the group taking a prominent role in attending meetings and seminars to stress the importance of vaccination and the dangers of under-reporting of bluetongue.
“The vaccine lasts a year, so farmers that had it done when it was first available around a year ago are coming up for their boosters,” added Will, whose practice has administered over 45,000 vaccinations.
“We’re encouraging them to get that done as a priority, and if they didn’t take it up last year then get it done now as this is when cases mount up.”
