What Livestock Farmers Need to Know About the Battle Bluetongue 2025 Campaign & Current BTV-3 Situation
As Bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) cases increase across Great Britain, IMEL is calling on all livestock farmers to take action now. With no cure available, prevention is the only reliable defence. Here’s what you need to know, and how you can protect your herd or flock.
What is the Battle Bluetongue 2025 Campaign?
A joint effort by AHDB (Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board) and Ruminant Health & Welfare (RH&W), devised in collaboration with veterinary experts and industry associations.
Key tools offered:
Vaccine decision maker tool for assessing risk on a farm.
Resources such as webinars, FAQs, movement checker maps, vaccine calculators (for sheep, beef, dairy), social media and printable materials.
#BattleBluetongue campaign – actions for farmers
Three core messages:
Assess your risk, with the help of your vet, using evidence-based tools.
Protect your business, by understanding movement restrictions, vaccination licences, and midge control tactics.
Defend your stock, vaccinate the right animals to reduce spread and limit losses.
Latest Situation: BTV-3 in Great Britain
Since 1 July 2025, the restricted zone for Bluetongue has been extended to cover all of England. Movements within England are now generally unrestricted, but there are still rules (licences, testing) for movements of germinal products (like semen, ova, embryos).
As of September 8, 2025, three new cases of BTV-3 were confirmed:
One sheep in Cornwall
One ram in Kent
One sheep in Devon (via non-negative pre-movement test)
Breed / livestock species at risk include cattle, sheep, goats, camelids.
Risk of transmission by infected midges is very high in England (and most of Great Britain), especially with warming temperatures favouring vector activity.
What Farmers Can Do Now: Action Steps
Talk to your vet about whether BTV-3 vaccination is right for your farm. Use the vaccine decision maker tool to assess risk.
Plan for movement restrictions — even though England is broadly under the restricted zone, rules on animal and germinal product movements can vary depending on vaccination status and destination (e.g., Wales, Scotland).
Implement midge control measures on-farm to reduce exposure:
Reduce standing water
Use insect-proof housing or screens where possible
Use insecticides or other vector control as recommended by your vet
Monitor animals closely for clinical signs of Bluetongue — symptoms can include swelling of face, tongue, mouth, lameness, drooling, fever. Report any suspicious cases immediately. Bluetongue is a notifiable disease.
Stay updated with the Bluetongue case map, movement guidance, and policy changes (especially if you trade across England-Wales-Scotland borders).
Why This Matters: Key Risks & Impacts
Animal health & welfare: Bluetongue can cause serious suffering in affected animals.
Productivity losses: Reduced milk yield, delayed growth, reproductive issues, even mortality in worst cases.
Trade & movement: Movement restrictions can disrupt markets, shows, sales, and transport of breeding stock.
Cost of inaction: Vaccination and proactive control are often far cheaper than dealing with outbreaks and restricted movements.
How IMEL Supports Farms Facing Bluetongue
At IMEL, we are committed to supporting our customers and the wider livestock industry through this challenging period. We offer:
Up-to-date information and summaries of guidance from Defra, AHDB, and RH&W.
Resources and signposting to tools like vaccine decision makers, FAQs, case maps.
Help with planning — advice on how to integrate vaccination, movement compliance, and farm biosecurity into long-term strategy.
Testing & monitoring support — ensuring you know when testing is required (especially pre-movement), and how to report suspicious cases.
or full guidance, maps, vaccine calculators and live updates, visit:
Your local veterinary service or animal health agency
Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
Stay vigilant, act early, and protect your stock. Together, we can Battle Bluetongue 2025.
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