Bluetongue virus: from reporting to results

Bluetongue cases have been rising sharply recently which means more report cases and samples are being sent in for testing. To help farmers and vets in this process our Veterinary Head of Outbreak Delivery Sascha Van Helvoort, takes us through the steps involved from the moment you report suspicion of notifiable disease to confirmation of whether disease is present in your livestock and how you can help make this process as efficient as possible.

What happens once you report a case of Bluetongue

If you have reported a suspected case of bluetongue and are waiting for test results, you may be wondering what happens next.

From the moment disease is suspected to the point a result is issued, several important steps take place to ensure test results are accurately recorded and communicated. Understanding this process can help avoid delays and ensure samples are processed as quickly as possible.

Bluetongue is a notifiable disease which means there is a legal requirement to report any suspicions of disease to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). This is an important part of disease surveillance and control. Testing allows us to confirm whether the disease is indeed bluetongue, identify the strain involved, and rule out any other diseases that can have similar clinical signs, such as foot and mouth disease.

Confirmation of disease - from reporting to result

Step 1: Reporting disease and veterinary assessment

APHA is receiving a high number of daily reports of suspected bluetongue from livestock keepers and veterinary practices across Great Britain. During each report call, an APHA veterinarian will ask a number of questions to understand if the clinical signs being reported suggest bluetongue or another notifiable disease, for example foot and mouth disease. This initial assessment helps ensure that the appropriate investigations are carried out, supports rapid diagnosis, and helps build a better picture of disease activity across Great Britain.

Before contacting APHA, have your CPH number, keeper details, animal identification details, approximate stock numbers, details of affected animals, clinical signs observed and recent bluetongue vaccination history available.

Step 2: Sampling for disease

If the assessment suggests the reported case is very likely to be bluetongue, the next step will depend on where your holding is located as there are different sampling requirements in England, Scotland and Wales.

Premises in England

Should you be eligible, you can arrange for your private vet to collect and submit blood samples from up to three affected animals using the reference number provided by APHA. The lab fees will be covered by APHA, but you will need to pay for your vet to take the samples. Where three samples have been authorised, all samples should be submitted together. Submitting only part of the authorised sample set may delay testing and result reporting.

If you are not eligible for free testing, your own vet can still privately submit samples to The Pirbright Institute at your own cost.

Testing for bluetongue remains voluntary; however, you must still report suspected cases to support disease surveillance and monitoring.

Premises in Wales

APHA will arrange an official investigation. Sampling and laboratory testing for suspected cases are funded by the Welsh Government, meaning there is no cost to you as the keeper for the investigation or testing associated with a reported suspicion.

It is important to ask your vet to provide treatment for any animals that require care, regardless of whether samples are taken. You should also discuss bluetongue vaccination with your vet to help protect your livestock, should you not already have vaccinated your flock or herd.

Where government-funded testing is not available, private veterinarians can still submit samples to The Pirbright Institute at your own expense.

Premises in Scotland

If bluetongue is suspected, APHA will carry out an on-site investigation and take samples if required, at no cost to you as keeper.

Step 3: Submission to Pirbright Reference Laboratory

Premises in England

If you decide to take samples for testing, these will be taken by your vet who should clearly label the outside of the parcel with the APHA ERZ reference number and send them to the bluetongue reference lab, The Pirbright Institute. The paperwork must be located outside of the container holding the samples.

Incomplete paperwork and mislabelling of parcels can result in testing delays since additional information may be required.

Premises in Wales

The vet conducting the disease investigation will submit the samples to The Pirbright Institute for testing, together with the required paperwork.

Premises in Scotland

Samples collected as part of the disease investigation will be packaged and sent to the Bluetongue reference lab, The Pirbright Institute by APHA.

Movements of animals to Scotland – pre-movement testing

If a bluetongue pre-movement test is required, samples should be submitted as early as possible and clearly labelled ‘Pre-movement samples’ on the outside of the parcel.

Correctly labelled samples and paperwork help the lab to identify and prioritise testing within the seven-day licence testing window, allow at least three working days in the laboratory for testing. See our guidance on animal movements.

Step 4: Laboratory testing

Premises in England and Wales

Once at the lab, if the packaging is clearly marked and the paperwork is correct, the lab will process the samples and test as soon as practicable.

If the test results are negative for bluetongue, the Pirbright Institute will communicate them directly to you. However, positive results of a notifiable disease must be reported to and confirmed by APHA, which means positive results take longer to be returned.

The total processing time (including postal times) may take up to two weeks because of the individual steps outlined above but the aim is to return results as quickly as possible.

To speed things up always mark the package appropriately, complete the documentation accurately and do not phone Pirbright for results as they are unable to release results to you by phone or email.

No restrictions are applied to reporting farms at any stage of the process, including reporting, suspicion, investigation, or confirmation of BTV-3 infection on the farm.

Premises in Scotland

Once at the lab, samples taken because of a suspect bluetongue case will be prioritised to determine if disease is circulating. Results will be sent to APHA. Positive results for notifiable disease will be confirmed by the Chief Veterinary Officer in Scotland. Once confirmed, APHA will share the results with you and discuss next steps. This can take up to two to three days. If the samples are negative, APHA will notify you of the results.

Vaccination

Bluetongue is spread by midges and not directly from animal to animal so the most effective way to protect susceptible animals is by vaccinating. Three BTV-3 vaccines have been authorised for use in Great Britain and can be ordered through your vet. While testing helps us understand where disease is present and how it is spreading, vaccination is the only viable long-term control measure for bluetongue. You should discuss your vaccination strategy with your vet.

Demand is currently very high, so it is important that farmers and vets place orders now, so vaccine manufacturers can ensure there is access to supplies. See our vaccination guidance.

Help us to help you

Every correctly completed form, properly labelled sample and timely report helps us build a clearer picture of how bluetongue is spreading across Great Britain and allows test results to be confirmed as quickly as possible. By working together, reporting disease promptly and discussing vaccination with your private vet, we can help protect livestock and reduce the impact of bluetongue.

Disease outbreaks are stressful for livestock keepers, vets and their families. If you are struggling, support is available through organisations such as the Farming Community Network (FCN), RABI and other rural support charities.

The bluetongue outbreak is an evolving situation, and we continue to review testing and response. Check the bluetongue latest situation page for the latest information.

Further information

• Bluetongue: latest situation
• Get bluetongue testing
• Non-vesicular disease diagnostic testing – The Pirbright Institute
• Bluetongue: moving animals within the restricted zone
• Apply to move animals out of bluetongue zones
• Bluetongue movement restrictions for animals – GOV.Scot
• Bluetongue virus: current restrictions – GOV.Wales