A third animal in England has tested positive for the bluetongue virus, AP quoted a government agency as saying today. But the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs also said there was not enough evidence to confirm «an active outbreak» of the virus. The department said it was not yet clear whether the disease was circulating in Britain or was the result of a single infection from overseas. Bluetongue is common in Mediterranean countries and has spread across northern Europe over the past year. It did not appear in England until last weekend, when the first of three cases turned up in livestock at a farm in Suffolk, northeast of London. The government statement Tuesday did not say what kind of animal was the third to test positive for the bluetongue virus. But the first two were cows. The disease is spread by insects known as midges, and experts say strong winds across the English Channel may have spread bluetongue from the European mainland. Bluetongue affects cows, sheep and other ruminant animals, and can be fatal. It does not affect humans.
