NSA Bluetongue Questions and Responses
1. Can ruminant animals be moved from the free area (FA) into and then out of a restricted zone (RZ) within a 24-hour period without a special license?
Generally, no, ruminant animals cannot be moved from the free area (FA) into and then out of a restricted zone (RZ) within a 24-hour period without a special license.
Here's a breakdown of the specific requirements for different types of short movements:
For movements to shows or markets in the RZ from Wales (FA):
If the show or market lasts less than 4 days (which includes a 24-hour period), a pre-movement test is not required to enter the RZ.
However, upon return to Wales (FA), the animals must be isolated and post-movement tested at the owner’s expense. You must also notify APHA, and restrictions will be served until a negative test result is received.
For the return journey, moving animals from an RZ generally requires a specific movement licence.
For movements for emergency veterinary treatment:
Movements from the FA in Wales to a veterinary surgery in the RZ in England and then returning to the source premises are permitted, but only under a specific licence.
The return journey to the source premises must be direct and completed within 36 hours of the initial movement. Additionally, specific conditions apply to the vehicle, such as ensuring the animal area is cleansed and treated with an insecticide.
For other short-term events (like attending a vet surgery, an AI centre, or a livestock event for a period no more than 24 hours, or even a maximum of 12 hours):
These are considered movements that could jeopardize the animal's BTV status.
The sources indicate that a specific movement licence is generally required for moving animals from an RZ, which would apply to the return leg of such a journey.
In summary, while there might be exceptions to pre-movement testing for entering the RZ for short periods like shows, the overall movement, especially the exit from the RZ, typically necessitates a specific movement licence.
2. Can ruminant animals be moved from a FA through a RZ and back into a FA without a license if the time spent within the FA is within a set number of hours, with or without insecticide treatment?
Yes - direct transit through the RZ is permitted without stopping unless it’s an emergency. Use of insecticide is recommended but not mandated in this situation.
3. Will vaccination status of ruminant animals be taken into account in future ruminant animal BTV movement policy?
The long-term plan is to allow vaccinated livestock to move.
Initially, cattle vaccinated with Bultavo-3 (a product that prevents viremia or is shown to prevent it) will be permitted to move without needing a pre-movement test.
Eventually, this arrangement is hoped to be extended to sheep, but only after more information about vaccine effectiveness in sheep is available.
4. How will the vaccination status of the ruminant animal be ascertained?
Keepers are required keep a record of every animal vaccinated – the information you need to record is on the published general licence, here.
Keep records for at least 5 years. Keepers should provide details including the individual animal IDs and vaccine used to Defra within 48 hours of vaccinating.
Vets also record details of all vaccine prescriptions issued.
5. Will any controls be imposed on the movement of germinal product from semen and embryo collection and storage centres within the RZ to farms/semen and embryo collection and storage centres in the FA?
Yes – this is captured in the licensing process for such premises, which includes post-collection testing of animals.
5a. What are these controls and how will they be audited?
As of July 1st, all of England will be a bluetongue restricted zone. Therefore, movement controls primarily concern activity within this zone.
Movement of germinal product within this zone is allowed without a licence if the donor animal shows no bluetongue signs. To freeze product, a licence or designated centre is required. Donor animals must be tested after collection, and product only used once negative results are confirmed. Stored product needs clear labels and auditable records. Auditing occurs via record checks and APHA investigations for positive test results or suspected cross-contamination.
Find out more about moving, freezing and storing germinal product here.
6. With regard to the Royal Welsh if a BTV case was confirmed at the show would the animal be culled and would it stop other animals travelling back home?
If the first case of bluetongue in Wales is confirmed at the show the animal will be culled.
If there is circulating disease in Wales by 21st July, culling may not be necessary but any decision will depend on the prevailing disease picture at the time.
7. Can bloods be taken from animals who have travelled to a sale in England at a sale by a vet to be sent off for pre and post movement testing should animals be returning unsold to Wales or purchased by a Welsh farmer from a Welsh or English vendor at the sale.
Animals that have been at shows in the RZ for less than 4 days should be isolated on return to Wales and will require post-movement testing. If the show is longer than 4 days they cannot re-enter Wales without a license and negative pre-movement test.
8. What happens if a Scottish purchaser buys from a Welsh vendor at the sale?
Welsh livestock purchased at a sale in the RZ will require a pre-movement test to enter Scotland.
No testing will be required for Welsh livestock purchased in Wales and destined for Scotland.
8a. Can producers buy sheep from Scotland and travel back through the RZ to Wales with no testing?
Testing is not required but the movement must be direct from source to destination without stops in the RZ, except in an emergency.
9. If a Welsh buyer buys a Welsh Ram that is in an English sale and returns home with it will it have to be post movement tested?
Not if the ram is already pre-movement tested. Making the assumption that you mean a Welsh farmer has brought this ram to sell at an English market, and then it is bought by a Welsh buyer and will return to Wales – in which case it requires a post-movement test on return to Wales.
9a. If he buys an English ram will that have to be pre and most movement tested?
If the animal has been residing in England for more than 4 days it is considered resident and therefore requires a pre-movement test before leaving. No post movement test required.
10. Can a English seller bring rams to a Welsh market to sell in a sale if they have all had a pre movement test?
Yes, see below – pre-movement test with negative result and moving under specific licence.
11. Are there timeframes for the length of time an animal can be in a market before it would lose a pre movement status?
Movements to shows or markets - RZ to Wales:
- Animals must be pre-movement tested and receive a negative result to leave the RZ and attend a show or market in Wales.
- You must apply for a specific movement licence (on Gov.UK) before moving animals from a RZ to a show or market in Wales.
- Animals must have a general licence (on GOV.UK) to leave the market direct to their onward destination. This must be endorsed by the market operator before leaving the market to ensure the animal(s) have moved to the market in compliance with the specific licence.
Movements to shows or markets in the RZ:
- Animals moving from Wales do not require a pre-movement test to enter a show/market of less than 4 days duration in the RZ but must be isolated upon return to Wales and post-movement tested at the owner’s expense.
- You must notify APHA who will serve restrictions until a negative test result is received. There may be high demand for testing, which may result in animals remaining under restriction until that a post-movement test returns a negative result. Animals with a positive result may be culled.
- If the animal spends more than 4 days in the RZ|, it becomes ‘resident’ and will require a pre-movement test to exit the RZ instead of post movement testing in the FA (see conditions above in the section Movements to live – RZ to Wales).
12. Can the blood tests be pooled or are they all on an individual basis?
A study conducted research on this. Find it here.
Pooling blood tests for BTV is primarily used to reduce costs and process more samples quickly for widespread monitoring. However, it's generally not recommended for diagnosing individual animals, especially if they were recently infected or have low levels of the virus. This is because mixing samples can dilute the virus, meaning animals with early infections might be missed entirely.
Pooling is suitable for surveillance in BTV-affected regions, particularly when animals are likely to have high virus levels (e.g., during peak or later stages of infection). In these cases, mixing a good number of samples (such as up to 20) still provides a high chance of detection.
