56 cases of bluetongue confirmed in UK

A new case of bluetongue disease in the UK brings to 56 the number of cases confirmed in the country since the virus first made its appearance last September.

The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) says that the latest case of the disease was confirmed in cattle in the New Forest area of Hampshire in the south of the country. It means that the statutory Protection Zone imposed around infected premises moves further westward into the counties of Hampshire and Wiltshire. DEFRA says that the case came to light through the pre-movement testing of animals, and all the available evidence suggest that the infection took place last year before the winter vector-free period. The BBC reports that the 56 cases confirmed in the UK so far affect 122 premises.

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