Farmers are being urged to consider vaccinating their stock against Bluetongue serotype 8 as the midge-borne virus has entered the UK.

Bluetongue-8 has been detected in a number of animals from a group of 32 cattle imported from an area in France where infection has been confirmed. The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has identified the disease in cattle in Preston and Kendal and at two locations in Scotland.

Bluetongue is spread by the Culicoides biting midge and is a notifiable disease. The vector-borne nature of Bluetongue means that where infection is present and circulating, protection is best achieved through vaccination.

Unseasonably high temperatures for October means midge activity is still high. If the local midge population becomes infected with the bluetongue virus there is a risk that infection could spread to other livestock.

Chief veterinary officer for the UK, Nigel Gibbens, has reminded farmers that the disease is still a threat, and said: “Keepers must remain vigilant and report any suspicions to APHA. They may also want to talk to their vet to consider if vaccination would benefit their business.”

Vaccination is the only sure way of protecting livestock against bluetongue, explains Carolyn Hogan, national veterinary manager at Zoetis.

She said: “Although we are coming to the end of the midge season, with midge activity at its highest when the average daily temperature is above 15C, the current unseasonably high temperatures mean midges are still active. This means there is a risk they could have picked up bluetongue virus from the infected imported cattle before these animals were humanely culled.

“At the moment we simply don’t know whether or not this is the case. Local surveillance has been put in place to monitor livestock in the local vicinity, and this will determine whether or not infection has spread, and therefore whether or not there is a disease risk to UK livestock.”

To control wider spread of infection, if is found to be actively circulating, movement restriction zones of 150km will be placed around infected premises. These movement restrictions can have a devastating impact on a farmer’s ability to trade.

Ms Hogan said: “Whilst some animals may show very few clinical signs, bluetongue can cause severe disease in sheep and cattle negatively impacting productivity, through for example reduced milk yield, infertility, and lameness. Vaccination will help protect against the production losses, and importantly reduce the impact of any movement restrictions allowing trade to continue.”

She advises that farmers and their vets should discuss an individual risk assessment for their farm.