Cows This month, the government noted multiple cases of a new “bluetongue” virus called BTV-3 in the UK. It is mainly spread through biting midges and affects sheep, cattle, other ruminants like deer and goats, and camelids such as llamas and alpacas. It does not affect people or create any food safety issues for us. But the government says, “Outbreaks can result in prolonged animal movement and trade restrictions.” Rarely, it can also affect dogs and other meat-eating animals if they eat infected meat (like the afterbirth from an infected mother). What is bluetongue, and why is BTV-3 different? Bluetongue is a virus that causes illness and sometimes death in animals. The UK has had a variation of Bluetongue, BTV-8, before in 2007. But BTV-3