A case of the bluetongue virus has been recorded in livestock in Scotland for the first time. The potentially deadly disease, BTV-3, or bluetongue, was confirmed in Dumfries and Galloway on August 8. There have been 289 cases of bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) in the UK in the 2026 to 2027 bluetongue season. The bluetongue virus primarily affects sheep, cattle and goats and is mainly spread through biting midges. BTV-3 is notifiable and any suspicion of disease in animals must be reported to Animal and Plant Health Agency Scotland.