Two more counties enter bluetongue restrictions

Bluetongue restrictions in England have been further extended following detection of a new case among cattle in Hampshire.

Officials say the infection was confirmed on Saturday 16 November, following the reporting of suspected clinical signs in an animal outside the then restricted zone.

The zone has now been extended to include parts of both Hampshire and Wiltshire in a move that Defra and the APHA said was intended to help “contain and slow” any further spread of infection.

Present outbreak

The total number of BTV-3 cases confirmed since the start of the present outbreak in late August now stands at 164 after several other new infections were detected in recent days.

The new cases include another outside the restricted zone at premises in North Yorkshire, which have now been placed under restrictions following detection of the virus in a single sheep.

The animal is believed to have been moved from a site in Suffolk prior to the imposition of restrictions there.

Thirteen cases are now documented of infected animals being moved from areas now part of the restricted zone. Officials say restrictions have now been lifted around most of the affected sites outside the zone.

Within the restricted zone, new infections have also been detected at premises in Essex and Suffolk in the past few days.