UK Control Strategy
Plans are in place to deal with an outbreak of disease anywhere in the UK. The UK Bluetongue Control Strategy, on which any response to bluetongue would be based, was jointly developed and agreed by UK Governments, experts, and industry. The Control Strategy is being revised to take into account new Commission Regulation on bluetongue.
The main focus of the response to a Bluetongue outbreak would be to declare a 20km radius zone around the infected premises, along with a minimum 100km radius protection zone around the infected premises and a surveillance zone extending 50km beyond this, and to introduce movement restrictions within these zones. Movement of animals would be permitted under licence in certain circumstances and with certain compulsory precautions, e.g. testing for disease or the use of insecticides. Routine on-farm use of insecticides would not be required. As Bluetongue is a vector (i.e. midge) borne disease, large scale culling of animals is not expected; however culling could be undertaken at an early stage of incursion (particularly if imported animals were involved) to minimise the risk of disease becoming established in the midge population.
The Scottish Government is currently funding £800,000 of research into the Scottish midge population. The findings of this research will help inform our understanding of any required disease control response. Work is also being commissioned by the Scottish Government to assess the economic impact of possible Bluetongue incursions into Scotland in order to inform decision making and prioritisation of disease control options.