A virus that causes still birth and birth defects in lambs and calves has spread to more than 1,500 UK Farms new Government figures show.
Cases of Schmallenberg have now been reported in all the counties of England and Wales, and in Northern Ireland.
Scottish farmers are on alert for the disease, which is carried by midges.
Some farms have suffered heavy losses of newborn lambs during the winter lambing season.
The latest figures from the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency show the virus has been detected on 1,531 farms, in cattle, sheep, alpacas and goats.
Joanne Pugh of the National Sheep Association told BBC News: "It's incredibly high impact for the flocks that have had it and had massive losses.
"But as an overall picture across the whole sheep flock it's a low impact disease."
Schmallenberg figures
- January 2012: 11 farms
- February 2012: 83 farms
- August 2012: 276 farms
- November 2012: 715 farms
- December 2012: 976 farms
- January 2013: 1,211 farms
- February 2013: 1,531 farms
She said the effect of Schmallenberg (SBV) on individual farms could be devastating, causing much hardship for farmers.
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