Bluetongue: camelid guidance
Information for camelid keepers on reporting suspected bluetongue cases. How to identify and move your camelids.
Applies to England
Camelids include alpacas, llamas, camels, guanacos and vicunas.
Recognise and report bluetongue in camelids
You must look out for the signs of bluetongue if you keep camelids.
If you think one of your animals could have bluetongue, you must:
- report it to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA)
- prevent the movement of any animal or germinal product until an inspector has visited your premises
After you report suspicion of bluetongue to APHA, a vet inspector will visit your premises. They will introduce restrictions until the investigation is complete.
Moving camelids in bluetongue zones
Certain movements are not allowed in a bluetongue zone, or from premises that have a bluetongue restriction notice.
Some movement licences may require you to test the animals before and after the move.
For detailed information, read the bluetongue guidance on moving animals and animal products.
To move your camelids out of a bluetongue restricted zone you must:
- identify each camelid you want to move – you cannot use neck tags or microchips
- keep a record of each camelid’s ID number
- apply for the correct bluetongue movement licence
- arrange for testing if you need to
Identifying your camelids
Your animals must have an individual ID if you want to:
- move your animals out of a bluetongue restricted zone
- vaccinate your animals against bluetongue 3 using the General Licence for Bluetongue Serotype 3 (BTV-3) licence
You already need individual IDs for your camelids if you want to export them or test them for tuberculosis (TB). For bluetongue disease control or vaccination purposes the unique number you use on the ID must include a herd mark issued by APHA.
To achieve this, you should:
- apply to the rural payments agency for a county parish holding (CPH) number
- get a herd mark from APHA - this informs APHA of your holding to help them trace movements
- use an ear tag from a recognised supplier - you must check with the supplier that the tag is suitable for use on the camelids you need to ID
- order tags printed with the 6-digit herd number followed by 4 digits of your choosing, to uniquely identify each camelid on the premises
- not hand-write any part of the ID number
You should keep a record of the ID tag and which animal it relates to for licencing and tracing purposes.
You can use these IDs for TB testing or export. Only prefix the ID with ‘UK’ if you need the ID to export your camelids.
Attending gatherings and shows
If you are attending a show or gathering, you will need a movement licence to leave any bluetongue restricted zones.
The conditions you must meet are in the movement licences. Plan ahead to make sure your animals meet the ID and licence requirements to leave a bluetongue restricted zone.
Updates to this page
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We have amended the 'Identifying your camelids' section. We added the type of licence you should use to vaccinate your animals against bluetongue 3.
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First published.