Animal Health Ireland (AHI) has said that achieving an Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) free status in Ireland will take approximately 16 years to achieve from the date that the proposed eradication model is rolled out.
Speaking at the 2023 Teagasc National Beef Conference, which took place on Tuesday, November 21, at the Shearwater Hotel, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway, BVD and IBR programme manager for AHI, Dr. Maria Guelbenzu said the time needed to achieve IBR free status “depends on what programme” is implemented to control the virus.
She said: “The model in the proposal that has been put forward to the implementation group has estimated that it would be around 16 years from the very start to be free.”
She further added that the timeline mentioned is relevant “with a series of caveats and not changing the programme”.
The AHI representative’s presentation was titled ‘Impacts and control of IBR’.
She explained in her presentation that IBR is a highly-infectious respiratory disease of cattle, and that while infected animals typically recover, they become carriers of the virus. Under stress, these cattle may start shedding virus and infecting other animals.
She said that approximately 75% of Irish herds contain animals that have been exposed to IBR and are carriers.
IBR-infected animals (and any associated products such as semen or embryos), cannot be traded to many regions and countries in the EU that are officially recognised as free of IBR.
Countries such as Denmark, Germany, Austria, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Czech Republic and regions of Italy fall under this category.
These IBR infected animals or products cannot be exported to countries that have an approved IBR control programme either.
Countries such as Belgium, France, Luxembourg, regions of Italy and regions of Slovakia fall under this category.
A major concern for Ireland, is the possible approval by the European Commission of the IBR eradication programme currently underway in The Netherlands, and the consequences it will have for calf exports.
In addition, many ‘third’ countries have IBR-specific requirements for live exports.
It was emphasised that the approval of an IBR control programme in Ireland would be important to secure the future of live cattle exports.