In September of 2007, bluetongue infection in a cow was reported for the first time in the United Kingdom on a farm near Ipswich, Suffolk. Within a short time, three more cases were identified and the animals destroyed. Soon after, however, the rising number of cases made it obvious that the virus was present in the insect population and was asymptomatic in other cattle. At that point, the government stopped the slaughter of cows while setting up “protection zones,” areas where the movement of cattle and sheep are restricted due to potential for disease spread. The bluetongue virus has spread northward into Europe from the Middle East and Africa, yet another warning sign of the effects of global warming.