Britain's deputy chief veterinarian officer Fred Landeg has confirmed an outbreak of bluetongue disease in England.
He said that he could now confirm that the bluetongue virus was circulating in the UK.
Mr Landeg said a combination of surveillance results and new cases indicated there had been recent infection providing the first evidence the virus was circulating in the local animal population.
The first case of bluetongue ever reported in Britain was discovered last weekend in Suffolk, southeastern England.
The virus, mostly found in Mediterranean countries, causes fever and mouth ulcers and in some cases turns an animal's tongue blue.
It is transmitted by insects and can be highly dangerous to sheep and cows, although it does not affect humans.
