Five cows on four different farms in England have tested positive for bluetongue virus serotype 3 (BTV-3) since 1 January, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has confirmed.
The latest case was found in a cow in Cheshire, which had aborted a calf on 7 January.
On 6 January, a cow in Devon tested positive after having diarrhoea, milk drop, drooling and a swollen head, while two cows which aborted their calves in Cornwall were confirmed on the same day.
On 5 January, a cow in Devon tested positive.
Total cases
Since July 2025, a total of 270 cases of bluetongue have been confirmed in England and Wales.
England has had 249 cases of bluetongue - including 241 cases of only BTV-3, one case of only BTV-8 and seven cases with both BTV-3 and BTV-8. In Wales, 21 cases of BTV-3 have been confirmed.
There have been no cases in Scotland.
Four cases of bluetongue were confirmed in Northern Ireland prior to Christmas.
There has been no further update from NI’s department of agriculture on the outbreaks since.
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