Portugal has reported the presence of bluetongue virus serotype 3 in three sheep farms near the Spanish border, leading to the loss of several animals and raising clinical suspicions in additional farms. This virus, first identified in the Netherlands in October 2023 and spreading across Europe, causes severe symptoms in sheep and milk production losses in cattle. In response, Portugal and Spain have stopped the movement of susceptible animals from Portugal to Spain, and Spain is procureing an emergency vaccine to combat this outbreak. The virus was initially detected in North Africa in 2018.