Irish sheep farmers have been urged to treat bluetongue vaccination as a priority ahead of the 2027 breeding season, after a veterinary warning that infected midges could cross from Great Britain as populations increase next summer.
Phillipa Page, a former president of the Sheep Veterinary Society, was speaking at the AgriSearch Flock Focus 2026 event in Co. Tyrone. She said the spread of bluetongue virus serotype 3 (BTV-3) through parts of England, Wales and Scotland during 2026 had increased the risk facing Irish sheep flocks.
According to Page, BTV-3 was identified in flocks in the south-west of England during early summer. It then moved north along the west coast into Wales between July and September, before reaching the south-west of Scotland by September.
“It is these Scottish flocks that pose a real threat to the Irish sheep industry in 2027.”
Page, who is based in the Cotswolds, said bluetongue-infected midges could cross the Irish Sea when numbers rise next summer. Her warning is particularly relevant to sheep producers in Northern Ireland, where flock health and breeding decisions will be closely linked to the disease situation across the water.
Vaccination timing highlighted
The veterinarian said waiting until clinical disease was present would leave farmers reacting after infection had already caused damage. She identified vaccination before the seasonal increase in midge activity as the central management message from the event.
“Timely vaccination is the only way to deal with a bluetongue outbreak.”
Page added that vaccination should take place during the spring period, before midge populations began to increase. She said the experience of British flocks during 2026 showed the cost of waiting until disease had appeared, with flock owners in south-west England facing veterinary bills amounting to multiples of thousands of pounds per month when dealing with the physical disease.
Her comments also drew attention to the potential consequences for breeding performance. Ram infertility has been recognised as an important symptom of bluetongue, with Page stating that the issue arose in an average of 50% of rams in infected flocks.
- BTV-3 was reported in south-west England during early summer 2026.
- The disease subsequently spread into Wales and reached south-west Scotland by September.
- Page said vaccination should be considered a flock-management priority in 2027.
- Ram infertility could affect breeding outcomes and future lamb numbers.
Implications for UK flocks
The warning comes as sheep farmers across Great Britain continue to assess the implications of BTV-3 for flock fertility and future lamb supplies. Page said the effect of ram infertility on UK lamb numbers would become clearer during the following spring.
For Irish producers, the issue is not limited to disease management within individual flocks. The movement of infected midges means that the location of cases in Great Britain, seasonal weather conditions and the timing of vaccination may all influence the level of risk presented to sheep on the island of Ireland.
Page’s advice was delivered at a sector event rather than as a new government vaccination direction. Farmers considering vaccination or dealing with bluetongue risks should discuss the position for their flock with their own vet.
