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16 Sep 2026 Private vets can now diagnose blue tongue

Defra and the Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA) has announced that, in England, private vets can now diagnose clear cases of bluetongue after examining affected animals.

The new process makes it quicker and easier to confirm clear cases of bluetongue based on clinical signs. Private vets will contact the APHA to formally confirm diagnosis, instead of taking blood samples for testing.

This means straightforward cases do not need to wait for laboratory results, helping farmers get answers sooner and act quickly to protect their livestock.

Read more on this Defra blog post.

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