A third farm in Dumfries and Galloway has recorded a case of the potentially fatal bluetongue virus, according to Scotland's chief veterinary officer Sheila Voas. The infected sheep was found on a premises less than 2km from two previous confirmed cases in the same parish, and all three farms remain under restriction while further testing continues.
The first Scottish case emerged in a lamb at Kirkmabreck Farm near Creetown, discovered on a Saturday. Two sheep at a neighbouring farm tested positive for the virus the following Wednesday, and officials say the newest case, involving bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3), was found in a sheep on a nearby holding.
What has happened at the affected farms?
All three properties are currently subject to movement restrictions while investigators test other animals that could be susceptible to the disease. Voas confirmed the location of the new case, stating:
This premises is less than 2km (1.2 miles) from the existing two confirmed cases (three individual animals) in the same parish.
She added that vaccination offers the strongest protection currently available:
Vaccination remains the best way of preventing disease in animals and I encourage all farmers to discuss this with their vets.
Despite this advice, some farmers have voiced concerns over limited access to the vaccine, complicating efforts to protect herds and flocks in the affected area.
How is the virus spreading?
Voas has previously suggested that infected midges likely carried the disease into Scotland from established outbreaks in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, the Isle of Man or northern England. According to the government's official situation tracker, Scotland's first case was confirmed on 8 August 2026, with a second case confirmed on 12 August 2026 — though the most recent government update, dated 14 August 2026, lists only two confirmed cases in Scotland alongside 362 in England, a figure that differs from the source report's account of a third Scottish case (gov.uk bluetongue situation update). Separately, STV reported that Voas said it was not yet possible to determine whether bluetongue is actively circulating within Scotland, and that the animal involved in the earlier case was euthanised on welfare grounds amid ongoing epidemiological investigations.
Scotland's outbreak follows its first confirmed case in a lamb in Dumfries and Galloway, which came as the wider UK outbreak had already surpassed 330 cases. By 10–11 August 2026, the UK-wide total stood at 289 confirmed BTV-3 cases before later figures pushed the England and Scotland totals higher, according to Farmers . Regional pressure on surveillance systems has also been evident across the Irish Sea, where Farmers Journal reported 1,527 further suspected cases under investigation in Northern Ireland around the same period.
What are the symptoms and risks?
All four animals confirmed to have the virus in Scotland have been euthanised on welfare grounds. Across the UK's 2026/27 season, 373 cases of BTV-3 had been recorded, the majority in south-west England.
The virus spreads through insect bites and typically affects cattle, sheep and goats. Symptoms of BTV-3 include nasal discharge, swelling and redness of the lips, nose and muzzle, lameness or an unwillingness to stand, reduced milk yield, and diarrhoea in cattle. Bluetongue poses no risk to human health or food safety, but it carries a high mortality rate in infected sheep and can cause fertility problems in cattle.
The disease is notifiable, meaning any suspected case must be reported to the Animal and Plant Agency in Scotland. A recent surge in cases across south-west England has been attributed to hot, humid weather, which the Animal and Plant Agency says has created favourable breeding conditions for the midge populations that transmit the virus between animals. The impact of this surge has already been felt beyond Scotland — a Devon farmer described feeling isolated as suspected bluetongue spread through her sheep, while Okehampton Show excluded cattle, sheep and goats from this year's event because of the escalating outbreak in Devon and Cornwall.
What happens next?
The three affected farms in Dumfries and Galloway remain under restriction while officials test other susceptible animals on the premises, according to STV's reporting. Government epidemiological investigations are continuing in an effort to identify the likely source of infection, with no confirmed timeline yet for when those inquiries will conclude.
Key Facts
- A third Scottish case of BTV-3 has been reported near Creetown in Dumfries and Galloway, though official government figures as of 14 August 2026 list only two confirmed Scottish cases.
- All four animals confirmed with the virus in Scotland have been euthanised on welfare grounds.
- The UK recorded 373 BTV-3 cases in the 2026/27 season according to the source report, while government figures put England's total at 362 as of 14 August 2026.
- Vaccination is recommended by Scotland's chief veterinary officer, though some farmers report difficulty accessing supplies.
- Northern Ireland has around 1,527 suspected cases under investigation, reflecting wider regional spread.
