Farmers across the North woke on Thursday to a starker picture. Defra’s latest update confirms 180 bluetongue cases across Great Britain as of 13 November 2025, with 167 in England (161 BTV-3 only, one BTV-8 only and five with both BTV-3 and BTV-8) and 13 BTV-3 cases in Wales. There remain no confirmed cases in Scotland. A public case map is available on GOV.UK to check local positives and test types.

What’s changed this week matters for winter housing plans. On Wednesday 12 November, routine surveillance picked up two new BTV-3 confirmations in Sussex. The day before, 11 November, private testing confirmed two bovines in Staffordshire and routine checks brought further positives in East Sussex and Somerset. These continue a pattern of sporadic finds alongside targeted testing.

Defra also reports that between 3 and 10 November there were 18 new confirmations across England, including counties watched closely by Northern farmers: Cheshire, Cumbria and Derbyshire, as well as Cornwall, Devon, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Somerset and West Sussex. That mix of pre‑movement, private and surveillance detections shows the system is still finding infection even as temperatures fall.

Wales changed tack at 00:01 on 10 November, declaring an all‑Wales restricted zone. The Welsh Government has lifted the earlier temporary control zone and premises‑level restrictions. Crucially for cross‑border graziers, routine livestock moves between England and Wales no longer require bluetongue vaccination or mitigation, though testing of donor animals for semen, ova and embryos continues. Moves from Wales to Scotland remain subject to Scottish rules.

England remains a country‑wide restricted zone. You can move animals within England without a specific bluetongue licence or pre‑movement test. However, freezing germinal products still needs a specific licence and testing, and keepers cover sampling and postage costs. That’s a key consideration for pedigree breeders and AI centres scheduling winter collections.

Risk-wise, cooler weather is helping. Government advisers now judge the risk of onward spread by biting midges to be very low in the south‑east, East Anglia, the south‑west and the north‑east. Infection is still possible from already infected midges or from germinal products, so biosecurity shouldn’t slip. Overall risk of incursion from all routes stays at medium, with the airborne risk now low.

Vaccination remains on the table alongside testing. Three BTV‑3 vaccines - Bluevac‑3, Bultavo 3 and SYVAZUL BTV 3 - can be used in Great Britain under the relevant licences and notifications. Record‑keeping is required, trade restrictions still apply to vaccinated stock, and vets advise avoiding pre‑movement tests for seven days after vaccination to prevent interference. Speak to your farm vet about timing, especially ahead of spring midge activity.

For Northern keepers planning winter sales, tack grazing or show movements, the basics still apply: check the bluetongue zone map before booking transport, use the appropriate general licences for moves to Scotland or Wales, and keep movement and ID records tight. If you keep camelids or you’re unsure on the detail, APHA can advise. These are small steps that protect market access and minimise disruption.

The on‑farm watch list hasn’t changed: look out for mouth lesions, drooling, lameness, fever, or fertility dips, and report anything that looks off to APHA straight away. Buyers should keep sourcing paperwork and lab results together; sellers should flag vaccination status and any recent tests with their mart or private buyers. None of this is glamorous, but it keeps trade moving while the disease picture settles.

Bottom line for the North: the bulk of recent cases sit well to our south, but isolated positives in Cheshire, Cumbria and Derbyshire show why vigilance still matters. With England and Wales both in restricted zones and the risk of onward spread rated very low for now, winter is a window to get ahead on paperwork, vaccination discussions and breeding schedules before midges wake up again in 2026.