Bluetongue detected in 15 counties as case numbers grow
A total of 81 cases of BTV-3 across 15 counties has been recorded in Ireland.
Current cases of bluetongue have now been recorded in 15 counties across Ireland.
Ireland has 81 documented bluetongue virus serotype 3 (BTV-3) cases, according to the latest Department of Agriculture figures.
The majority of existing bluetongue cases have been confirmed in cattle, with 76 bovine cases and the remaining five cases in sheep.
BTV-3 was first detected in a herd in Co Wexford, in January 2026, following analysis of blood samples from cows taken for disease surveillance purposes.
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Wexford currently leads with the majority of current cases, totalling 29, comprising 27 bovine and two ovine.
The first BTV-3 cases of the high-risk period, which spans June to October, were detected in early September following sampling of a heifer from a Co Wexford herd on post-mortem examination. Other cattle within the herd were sampled, and additional cases were detected. These cases showed no clinical signs.
BTV is a notifiable disease which can cause severe clinical signs in ruminant species and camelids.
Cases detected in counties Wicklow, Kildare and Louth showed clinical symptoms of BTV infection. Symptoms of BTV include crusty noses, drooling, mouth ulcers, excessive discharge from the eyes, lameness, and crusty teats.
Counties Cork and Kildare now have a total of nine cases apiece. In Cork, all nine cases were discovered in cattle. For Co Kildare, eight of the current cases were reported in cattle, and one was discovered in sheep.
Co Waterford currently has eight cases, all discovered in cattle. Co Kilkenny have seven cases, also all discovered in cattle.
Wicklow has six cases recorded, five in cattle and one found in sheep. Co Meath has four reported cases, three in cattle and one in sheep, and Co Louth has two reported cases, both in cattle.
The remaining counties, Dublin, Leitrim, Longford, Monaghan, Roscommon, Tipperary and Westmeath, have all reported one case of BTV-3 apiece, all discovered in cattle.
The UK has reported 3,472 cases of BTV-3 or an unspecified serotype in the 2026 to 2027 bluetongue season.
England has 2,917 cases, Wales has 500 cases, and Scotland has 55 cases recorded. There are currently no reported cases of bluetongue in Northern Ireland.
The majority of UK cases are found in the south-west of the country, in areas like Devon (1,291 cases), Cornwall (373 cases), and further north in Lancashire (235 cases), with other high-disease pressures along the west coast of the UK.
BTV serotypes are different variants of the disease; currently, the only serotype detected in Ireland is serotype 3. The most commonly found serotypes in Europe are 1, 3, 4, and 8.
