The Department of Agriculture has urged vigilance after Britain's first ever case of the insect-borne Bluetongue disease was confirmed at a farm in Suffolk.
One animal has been culled and the premises where the virus was detected has been placed under restrictions.
Bluetongue is a disease of animals, including cattle, sheep, goats and deer and does not affect humans.
The Department of Agriculture has said an importation ban on live animals from Britain is already in place because of the recent outbreaks of foot and mouth disease.
The Irish Cattle and Sheep Association President Malcolm Thompson has described the case of Bluetongue in the UK as very worrying.
He said that if it spreads to Ireland, it would have an extremely negative impact on Irish meat exports.
Elsewhere, British government vets are assessing whether foot and mouth has spread to a neighbouring county after an animal was found with suspect symptoms, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said.
A 3km control zone is in place around premises near Petersfield, Hampshire, as a precautionary measure, a spokesman said.
Six cases of the disease have been confirmed in Surrey since the beginning of August.
