Scottish farmers have been put on alert after an animal disease which causes severe birth defects and miscarriages was detected close to the border.
Livestock in North Yorkshire and Northumberland have tested positive for Schmallenberg virus (SBV) which produces fever, diarrhoea and loss of milk production in adult cattle.
Animals often recover from it but if female animals get infected during the early stage of pregnancy, it can lead to still-births and abortions.
SBV is spread by midges and cases of the virus have been reported across Europe throughout the last year. It is thought to pose no risk to humans but the National Farming Union Scotland (NFUS) is urging farmers to consider delaying mating until animals have been checked for SBV.
NFUS president Nigel Miller said: "Those farms in the Borders and Dumfries and Galloway planning on putting rams or bulls out in the coming weeks should consider the risk of SBV and seek advice from their vet on the possible benefits of delaying until later in the year.
"Lower temperatures reduce midge and virus activity, and present a low transmission window. In the meantime, keepers should remain vigilant to any ill health within their herd or flock and test where SBV might be considered as a possible diagnosis."
The NFUS said it has funding for 400 tests and urged producers who have imported stock from SBV risk areas in England and Wales to test animals for the virus.
During the summer, vets warned SBV could spread across the whole of Britain with hundreds of cases already detected in England.
Professor Peter Mertens, of the Institute of Animal Health, said: "On the basis it spread last year very effectively, I see no reason why it couldn't spread to cover most of the country this year.
"So far we have seen a relatively limited impact from the disease on English farms and those in the rest of Europe, but we understand that it can be distressing for individual farmers."
