Risk of bluetongue in Ireland will increase in spring 2025

The Department of Agriculture is warning that the risk of bluetongue will grow significantly in the spring next year.

This comes from the National Disease Control’s ‘bluetongue virus update’ which points to midge activity as the main cause of the spread of BTV.

As November approaches, the Department said that lower temperatures will mean midge activity will decrease for the wintertime.

However, the risk of transmission will increase in spring 2025 when temperatures increase and midges become more active again.

“Bluetongue virus is spread by infected biting midges which are present in Ireland and are generally most active during warmer months, between April and November,” the Department said.

UK figures

A total of number of 143 of BTV-3 cases have been confirmed in sheep and cattle in England, including two in Wales since the first confirmed outbreak on 26 August 2024.

This has resulted in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs implementing restrictions around affected farms, including a large restriction zone encompassing several counties in England.

Although semen and embryos may be imported from the country into Ireland after the correct checks, the import of livestock has remained suspended since the disease was detected in England in November 2023.

Vaccination for BTV-3 has now been authorised as an emergency measure in some countries including the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, France, Luxembourg and most recently Britain.

The Department has also warned that importing germinal products from affected countries is not without risk.

“The Department will not pay compensation for animals infected by imported germinal products, nor for imported animals which subsequently test positive for bluetongue in the post-entry sampling.”

New variant

A new variant of the bluetongue virus has been identified in a sheep in Kockengen, Netherlands.

BTV-12 was identified as part of research by Wageningen Bioveterinary Research (WBVR) in the Netherland and confirmed by The European Bluetongue Reference Laboratory in Madrid.

Genetically, the two bluetongue variants, BTV-3 and BTV-12, are unrelated.

The origin of the new variant is currently unknown and there is no vaccine currently available.

Read more

England’s cattle farmers locked up by bluetongue

Bluetongue vaccine in the works

Bluetongue a ‘serious threat to Irish cattle and sheep’ - McConalogue

‘Real risk’ of bluetongue entering Ireland - Department