Nearly 20 counties now placed in a bluetongue restriction zone

Nine cases of the virus have been detected outside the zone in Cheshire, Shropshire, Somerset, Cumbria, Anglesey, Gwynedd, Cornwall and North Yorkshire

11 October 2024 鈥� 1 min read

Bluetongue has continued to be detected in the UK with more than 25 counties returning a positive case.

As of October 11, APHA said there have been 143 confirmed reports of the virus on farms in England and Wales since August 26 in cattle and sheep.

The Government has placed 18 counties into a restricted zone which covers Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, East Yorkshire, Essex, Greater London, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Suffolk, Surrey and Sussex.

READ NOW: Second case of bluetongue identified in Wales

Somerset, Shropshire, Cheshire, Cumbria, Anglesey, Gwynedd, and North Yorkshire and Cornwall have also returned positive cases of the virus spread by midges.

Latest information published by the Government revealed that听3 cases of bluetongue had been identified on Thursday (October 10) in Norfolk, Hertfordshire and North Yorkshire.听

APHA said all the animals have been humanely culled to prevent 'potential spread' of the virus.

READ NOW: Defra Secretary visits farmers in restricted bluetongue zone

Industry reacts to Governments 'biggest animal welfare reforms in a generation'鈥�

The strategy includes consultations into the use of cages for laying hens and farrowing crates for pigs, as well as a consultation into phasing out the use of CO2 gas killing of pigs

Mia Willemsen

22 December 2025 鈥� 6 min read