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New areas added to bluetongue restricted zone
Bluetongue is a notifiable disease.
Over 170 cases have been identified during this vector period.

The bluetongue restricted zone has been extended to include additional parts of Berkshire, Hampshire and Oxfordshire after new cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 (BTV-3) were confirmed in Berkshire and Buckinghamshire.

The new case were discovered close to the previous boundary of the restricted zone.

The zone now covers Bedfordshire, part of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, City of Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, East Sussex, Essex, Greater London, part of Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, part of Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, part of North Yorkshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, part of Oxfordshire, Suffolk, Surrey, part of Warwickshire, West Sussex, and part of Wiltshire.

As of 11 December, the total number of BTV-3 cases during the 2024/25 vector season is 173 in England and two in Wales.

Susceptible animals in the restricted zone must only be moved if it is absolutely essential. A specific licence is required to move a susceptible animal from inside the restricted zone to outside it.

Bluetongue is a notifiable disease. Suspected cases must be reported on 03000 200 301 in England or 03003 038 268 in Wales. In Scotland, suspected cases should be reported to the local field services office. Suspected cases in Northern Ireland should be reported to the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or by contacting the local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office.

A map of the area where movement restrictions apply can be found here.

Image © Shutterstock

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FIVP Practice Matters podcast returns for Series 2

News Story 1
 The Federation of Independent Veterinary Practices (FIVP) has announced that its podcast, FIVP Practice Matters, will be returning for a second series next year.

The bi-weekly podcast will return on Tuesday, 14 January 2025 with an episode on sustainability with Alison Lambert. The second series will include a range of new and familiar guests sharing veterinary initiatives and news from independent practices.

The podcast is available on Spotify and will now also be released on Apple Podcasts. More details about FIVP and the podcast can be found on its website

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Further cases of H5N1 confirmed in Norfolk

APHA has officially confirmed that two more cases of H5N1 have been found on premises in Norfolk.

Testing confirmed that highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 was present at premises near Attleborough, as well as premises near Hingham in South Norfolk. The case near Hingham follows a slaughter on suspicion which was declared on 23 December.

A 3km Protection Zone and 10km Surveillance Zone have been implemented at each premises, and all the poultry on each premises will be humanely culled.

A third case has also been identified near Beverley in East Riding of Yorkshire.

APHA is reminding bird keepers to remain vigilant and follow biosecurity measures to prevent more outbreaks. Details on the current disease control zones and biosecurity guidance can be found on the APHA website.