Ireland's first confirmed case (Wexford, January 2026) and 347 cases in Great Britain since July 2025 mark the second consecutive year of BTV-3 expansion as warmer temperatures extend midge season northward
Bluetongue virus serotype 8 (BTV-8) re-emerged in France in September 2023 following a 13-year absence and spread to Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands in 2024, while BTV-5 appeared simultaneously in Italy and France; by early 2025 three serotypes were circulating in continental Western Europe, prompting emergency trade restrictions on live cattle and sheep movements from France, Germany, and Belgium