Bluetongue virus detected in Northern Ireland
The first suspected bluetongue outbreak in Northern Ireland is under investigation, after surveillance testing found the virus in two cows near Bangor in Co Down.
Bluetongue virus* was detected for the first time in Northern Ireland (and across the island of Ireland) in late 2025. Lucy Devlin, a DAERA-funded PhD student at Queen’s, comments on how understandings of midge ecology and viruses can improve preparedness, with links to her ongoing research.
Read the Science Media Center article
*Bluetongue virus is spread by biting midges of the genus Culicoides, which are relatives of mosquitoes.
Photo Credit: Annie Spratt via Unsplash