Bluetongue disease, which affects ruminants, creates issues in a number of different areas. Bluetongue epidemics have a direct impact on birth and death rates among sheep and cattle, and on milk and meat production. They also affect domestic and trade movements; some 5 million cattle (7% of the EU’s livestock) cross national borders every year. The main lessons learned from the last few years have been that bluetongue has become a reality in Europe and is likely to persist, and that vaccination is the only control tool.