Great Britain Faces Worst-Ever Bluetongue Season and Animal Crisis

Lawmakers in Great Britain have been informed that the current bluetongue season is the most severe on record, creating a profound animal welfare crisis. The viral infection, which spreads to sheep, goats, and cattle through biting midges, triggers symptoms such as high fever, painful lesions, stillbirths, and fatalities, often accompanied by the characteristic protruding blue tongue. Originating in Africa, the virus has expanded across Europe over the past two decades, a trend connected by the World Organisation for Animal Health to climate breakdown. The specific strain currently impacting livestock is serotype 3, which initially appeared in England in 2023.

The 2025-26 period has brought unprecedented devastation, with official figures showing 3,472 recorded cases across Scotland, England, and Wales since July. This total exceeds the previous three seasons combined by more than fivefold. Catherine McLaughlin, the chief animal health and welfare adviser at the National Farmers Union, explained to MPs that the nationwide outbreak has subjected agricultural workers to intense emotional pressure. Producers have encountered animal deaths, severe disease manifestations, reproductive failures, and losses in milk production and growth, alongside extra labor expenses and veterinary fees.

The worst bluetongue season on record has triggered a major animal welfare crisis for livestock.

Dr Gwen Rees, president of the British Veterinary Association, noted that veterinarians have few options because no direct treatment exists for the virus. Professionals can only offer supportive care while hoping livestock survive, a challenging scenario for both practitioners and owners. High vaccine expenses and financial uncertainty regarding infection risks led some agricultural workers to skip immunizations before the outbreak intensified. The regions experiencing the heaviest impacts lie in the south-west, led by Devon with 1,291 cases, followed by Somerset and Cornwall.

Why it matters

The outbreak has serious implications for agricultural businesses and food production. With reproductive losses likely to cause low lamb numbers in the spring, farms face long-term financial consequences and severe emotional strain from managing livestock illness and mortality.