BUCHAREST, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- Authorities on Thursday confirmed an outbreak of bluetongue disease in Calnic commune, Gorj County, southwestern Romania.

Ten cattle tested positive across four farms in three villages, officials from the county's Sanitary-Veterinary and Food Safety Directorate said.

The cases, the first since 2014, were identified through active surveillance and confirmed by the animal health institute in Bucharest. Bluetongue, a viral disease spread mainly by biting midges, affects cattle, sheep, and goats.

Around 1,400 ruminants in the commune are considered at risk. Authorities have imposed a 30-day ban on animal movements from the affected farms and urged insect control. Infected animals show no clinical signs, and treatment is symptomatic. ■