Thanks to Danny Hunter for pointing to two recent posts at CABI’s blog, one on bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease to you and me), the other on bluetongue disease. BSE seems to be running its course and to be more or less under control, even though many mysteries still surround it. Bluetongue, however, is altogether more menacing, because it seems to have reached Britain at least partly as a result of climate change, which has allowed the midges that spread the virus to expand their range. This could be the start of something big. I don’t believe there is any resistance associated with different breeds of cattle, but I could be wrong.