A bluetongue virus outbreak has been detected in a cattle herd in County Wexford.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the livestock animal had not been vaccinated. Experts emphasized that this is the first case of BTV-3 in Ireland contracted in 2026. No clinical signs of the disease were observed until the moment the animal died.

The bluetongue virus is spread by midges. When biting an infected livestock animal, the insect transmits the virus during subsequent bites, but the disease itself is not contagious. The virus poses no danger to humans. The disease is characterized by a high mortality rate among livestock animals, can cause severe illnesses in cattle, and deformities in newborn offspring. A characteristic symptom is swelling of the oral mucosa and tongue, but the disease can also manifest as fever, lameness, loss of appetite, and a drop in milk yield, which makes diagnosis difficult.

Currently, the virus is actively circulating in the UK, where cases of disease and death in cattle and sheep are being recorded, primarily in Wales, as well as in the southwest of England and Scotland. The virus was first detected in the Netherlands in the autumn of 2023, after which it spread throughout the UK and mainland Europe. On the island of Ireland, the first case was recorded in County Down last November, and in January, the first confirmed case in County Wexford occurred, which led to the suspension of Irish beef imports by China.

Department experts urge farmers to contact regional veterinary laboratories in any cases of unexplained death of livestock animals. Vaccination of the herd remains the main preventive measure. Representatives of the Irish Farmers' Association noted that warm and humid weather favors the activity of midges, which are carriers of the virus. Due to the increasing number of diseased livestock animals in the UK, farmers are advised to strengthen monitoring of livestock health and immediately report any suspicious signs of the disease to veterinarians.