RIGA, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Latvia has recorded its first case of bluetongue, a noncontagious viral disease, in cattle on a small farmstead, the Baltic country's veterinary authority said on Tuesday.
According to the Food and Veterinary Service, two cattle at a farm in Dienvidkurzeme Municipality, southwestern Latvia, tested positive for the third serotype of the bluetongue virus.
This is the first laboratory-confirmed case of bluetongue in Latvia. In the fall of 2024, the disease was detected in Poland, and in 2025 it was recorded in Lithuania.
Bluetongue affects domestic ruminants including cattle, sheep and goats, as well as animals such as alpacas, llamas and wild ruminants. The disease is spread exclusively by blood-sucking midges, which in Latvia are active from April through November.
The Food and Veterinary Service advised cattle farmers to protect their animals against bluetongue by treating them with insecticides or repellents or vaccinating them. ■
