The Scottish Government is set to replace the Bluetongue Temporary Control Zone (TCZ) in south-west Scotland with a Restricted Zone (RZ) from 10 September, acknowledging that the disease, serotype 3 (BTV-3), is circulating within the area. This development follows the confirmation of 21 BTV-3 cases in Scotland, all located within Dumfries and Galloway.
Bluetongue is a viral disease primarily spread by biting midges, affecting ruminants such as cattle, sheep, goats, deer, and camelids. Symptoms can vary, but in sheep, signs may include ulcers or sores in the mouth and nose, discharge, swelling of the head and neck, and lameness. Cattle may exhibit lethargy, crusty erosions around the nostrils, reddening of mucous membranes, and a drop in milk yield. The disease does not pose a risk to human health or food safety.
The transition from a Temporary Control Zone to a Restricted Zone signifies a legal requirement due to the sustained presence of the virus. Under the new Restricted Zone regulations, a licence will still be necessary for moving livestock, including cattle, sheep, and other susceptible ruminants, out of the zone to other parts of Scotland. Suspected cases of bluetongue must be reported immediately to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).
Despite the escalation to a Restricted Zone, changes to movement restrictions, previously announced, will proceed from 10 September. This adjustment is influenced by dropping temperatures, which reduce the risk of the midge-borne disease spreading. From this date, store, fattening, and non-pregnant female animals will no longer require testing or vaccination to move from the Restricted Zone into Scotland’s disease-free areas. However, certain breeding animals will continue to necessitate vaccination and testing before being moved out of the zone.
Jim Fairlie, Minister for Agriculture, Marine and the Islands, commented on the situation, stating: “We have been doing all we can to stop bluetongue getting a foothold but the evidence now is regrettably showing us that the disease is circulating in south-west Scotland, meaning that legally we have to make that area a Restricted Zone.
“What this shows is that the disease is not going away any time soon, and industry should start to prepare for the disease gaining a permanent hold within the rest of Scotland.
“I recognise that this is an extremely difficult time for farmers and the wider industry and we are continuing to work closely with them on how we deal with the disease in Scotland for the longer term.
“While we have no choice but to establish a Restricted Zone, the risk of spread reduces during the colder months. That is why, after listening to industry feedback, we remain able to continue to change restrictions on the movement of some animals out of the zone from 10 September.
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“What will not change is that vaccination is the only viable long-term strategy for controlling bluetongue. As such, I would urge anyone with susceptible livestock to speak to their vet as soon as possible, both to discuss the right approach for their animals and to make sure vaccine is available when it is needed.”
Bluetongue outbreaks can impose a significant financial and emotional burden on the agricultural sector. Costs for farmers can include vaccination, testing, potential loss of livestock, and reduced productivity or fertility. The disease can also lead to trade restrictions, impacting market dynamics and the overall livestock supply chain. The UK has experienced previous incursions of bluetongue, including a notable BTV-8 outbreak in 2007-2008 and earlier BTV-3 cases in 2023.
Livestock moving between the Scottish Restricted Zone and other Restricted Zones in Great Britain, such as the country-wide zones in England and Wales, will not be subject to additional bluetongue movement restrictions, provided they are not showing clinical signs of the disease.
