Farmer Katie Evans shares why reporting unusual symptoms this calving season could play a vital role in catching bluetongue before it’s too late
Article published by Farmers Guardian 26 January 2026:
For Katie Evans the reality of dealing with a confirmed bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) case was ‘daunting’ and the full impact only became apparent when the next calving season arrived.
Working on her family’s mixed farm in West Harling, Norfolk, the subsequent impact of a six-week trading standstill and other knock-on effects were also significant.
She explains the first warning signs appeared in September 2024.
“We had two cows with crusty erosions around their nostrils and muzzle, bloodshot eyes, and they were moving slowly on their feet,” says Katie.
With BTV-3 high on the list of concerns, the farm’s vet at Westover Vets advised Katie to contact APHA, which sent someone out the following day to investigate suspected cases. Although results came back negative, the problems did not end there.
2024 signs
While the cattle tested were negative, a home-bred teaser ram, initially suspected of having pneumonia, was later confirmed as being positive for BTV-3.
“He went off his legs, had lesions in his mouth and was producing large amounts of nasal discharge and drooling. He sadly died three days later,” says Katie.
Trading impact
Following the confirmed case, the farm was placed under restriction for six weeks, unable to trade. With the farm operating a successful business selling rams and other breeding stock to farmers across the country, the impact was immediate and costly.
Fortunately, the scale of the business, alongside owning multiple enterprises, meant the farm could spread the losses of about £70,000 in potential sales of breeding stock in 2024.
Spring 2025
Skip forward to spring 2025 and, across England, there were reports of calves born with brain malformations that were later concluded as being caused by BTV-3.
In many herds, these ‘dummy calf’ signs were the first indication BTV-3 had been present at all. At birth, these calves are known to be weak, struggle to stand and show poor sucking reflex.
Katie says they did not have the typical dummy calves but had issues including stillbirths and one deformity that may have been associated with BTV-3.
“Unfortunately, these were not investigated at the time as they were thought to be incidental. As is often the case, it is difficult to know if the first case is an isolated one or a pattern of loss,” says Katie.
“Not being able to trade for six weeks was a huge hit. We want to encourage other farmers to think of the bigger picture and why it’s important to report issues and play a part in trying to help reduce the risk of spread to other farms.
“It’s important to understand how bluetongue can present itself. We have learnt a lot over the last 16 months. Looking back, what appeared to be isolated cases were likely to be BTV-3, so it is important to investigate at the time to build a clear picture.
“This year we have vaccinated all breeding ewes and suckler cows. The cows have all scanned in-calf and we will be scanning the ewes in the coming weeks,” she adds.
Vet comment: BTV-3 signs to watch for in cattle
Frances Griffiths, a vet in Wales who also farms a commercial sheep flock and a dairy herd at home with her husband, highlights why it is important to note unusual signs during the calving season and what to look out for.
“With the year’s projected finances being tied up in every in-calf cow providing a live calf, any loss is significant. Fine tuning an enterprise relies on accurate record keeping of all births, as it is from looking at this data that trends and patterns can be noticed.”
Frances advises farmers to contact their vet if any of the following points are observed this calving season:
- Abortions and stillbirths
- Small, stunted calves
- Poor sucking calves
- Calves with apparent brain deficits such as blindness or malcoordination
- Death of calves within days of birth
‘The cost of prevention is far lower than the cost of losses’ – National Beef Associaton comment
Neil Shand, Chief Executive of the NBA, explains the role farmers can play in helping the sector stay ahead of BTV-3.
“Katie’s experience highlights how costly bluetongue can be long before you see obvious signs. That’s why we’re urging farmers to report anything unusual straight away and to look seriously at vaccination,” says Neil.
“The tools and guidance are there, and the cost of prevention is far lower than the cost of losses.
“Early reporting and vaccination give the whole sector a better chance of staying ahead of BTV‑3.”
What help is available for farmers?
There is no treatment for BTV-3, but vaccination and restricted movements in affected areas remain the best defence.
To help farmers decide whether to vaccinate and with which vaccine, Ruminant Health & Welfare and AHDB have developed a range of Battle Bluetongue tools including the Beef Vaccine Finance Calculator to help calculate the potential economic cost of losses compared to the cost of vaccinating your herd.
Find resources via: ruminanthw.org.uk/bluetongue-virus-hub/