Bluetongue declared an outbreak

A protection zone has been set up in Suffolk after government vets confirmed bluetongue disease was circulating in the UK and was classed as an outbreak. Deputy chief vet Fred Landeg said test results had shown the disease, which is transmitted by biting midges, was passing between livestock. So far there have been five confirmed cases of the disease. All the animals which tested positive have been culled. The zone will be a minimum of 150km (93 miles) around infected premises. A stricter 20km control zone has also been set up around the known bluetongue cases, with restrictions preventing animals being moved out of both zones. Mr Landeg told a news conference that laboratory results and the number of cases of bluetongue in Suffolk indicated the disease was circulating in the animal and the midge populations in the county. He said it had probably entered the country through midges from northern Europe. There have been nearly 3,000 cases of bluetongue in the region - including the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany - since July, which had fuelled fears of its arrival in the UK....