Defra has today announced that the Bluetongue Protection Zone will be
extended again on Thursday 7 August. This follows the delivery by
Merial of over two million additional doses of Bluetongue serotype 8
(BTV- 8) vaccine.

The Protection Zone will be extended to cover those parts of
Shropshire (District of Oswestry), Cheshire (Districts of Vale Royal,
Chester, Ellesmere Port and Neston), Greater Manchester (Metropolitan
Boroughs of Wigan, Bolton, Bury, Trafford and Salford) and North
Yorkshire (Districts of Richmondshire and Craven) previously in the
Free Area, and all of Merseyside (including the Metropolitan Boroughs
of Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral), the Unitary
Authorities of Halton and Warrington, and Lancashire (including the
Unitary Authorities of Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen).

Vaccination is only permitted within the Protection Zone. We will
continue to expand the Protection Zone and to roll out vaccination to
the free area as vaccine is delivered, in line with the vaccination
roll-out plan.

The additional vaccine is available for use in the existing
Protection Zone from today, along with any existing supplies of
Intervet vaccine. Livestock keepers in the areas coming into the
Protection Zone will be able to obtain the vaccine from Thursday.
However, they are encouraged to order vaccine so that they can
protect their livestock at the earliest opportunity.

Protection Zone restrictions will apply to those keepers coming into
the extended zone. Animals can only be moved out of the Protection
Zone if they are vaccinated, naturally immune or moving for
slaughter, subject to meeting certain conditions. Please refer to the
Defra website for further guidance.

Bluetongue has recently re-emerged in large areas of France. All
livestock farmers are strongly encouraged to be vigilant and to
vaccinate at the earliest possible opportunity.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2008/080805a.htm