In 2006, Bluetongue virus – which infects livestock – reached Northern Europe for the first time. Some people thought that the outbreak would be limited to that particular year, as winter was expected to kill off the midges that host and spread the disease, bringing the threat of infection to an end.

Scientists at the BBSRC-funded Institute for Animal Health (IAH) are stepping up the battle against the devastating and economically damaging bluetongue virus. By combining ingenious ways to trap and monitor midges with cutting edge computer modelling and weather predictions the IAH team are gaining an understanding of how the insects spread the disease so that they can improve surveillance methods and advise farmers how and when to protect their animals.

The European Union’s top public health official said Tuesday that bluetongue, an insect-borne virus that affects goats, sheep and cattle, is spreading fast through Europe and may turn endemic in many European Union countries.

Britain has confirmed a full-blown outbreak of bluetongue disease, a rare livestock virus not previously found in the country, in a new blow to embattled farmers.