The environment department says susceptible animals may not be moved out of the protection zone that covers a large chunk of southern England.

In Thursday's announcement, the government says the animals on the affected farm were probably infected last year. Bluetongue is carried by insects and affects cows, sheep and other ruminant animals. The disease was once confined to Mediterranean areas, but has been spreading north since August 2006. It does not harm humans.

There have been 125 cases of bluetongue across Britain, with 59 of those identified this year.

TheCattleSite News Desk