Bluetongue cases surpass 100 across 17 counties
Just over 100 cases of bluetongue virus have been detected in Ireland, across 17 counties.
In the latest update from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, 101 cases have now been detected.
These include 94 cases in cattle (bovine cases) and seven in sheep (ovine cases).
The virus has now been detected in a two further counties, compared to the 15 counties that were listed in previous updates.
The two further counties in which the virus has now been detected are Carlow and Sligo.
Co. Wexford is the county with the highest number of cases, with 35 total cases, 32 in cattle and three in sheep.
Other counties with double-digit case numbers are Co. Waterford with 12 cases and Co. Cork with 10 cases (all of these cases are in cattle).
The list of counties and number of cases in each, according to department figures updated yesterday (Tuesday, November 10) are as follows:
| County | Bovine cases | Ovine cases |
|---|---|---|
| Carlow | 1 | 0 |
| Cork | 10 | 0 |
| Dublin | 1 | 0 |
| Kildare | 8 | 1 |
| Kilkenny | 8 | 0 |
| Leitrim | 1 | 0 |
| Longford | 1 | 0 |
| Louth | 2 | 0 |
| Meath | 5 | 1 |
| Monaghan | 1 | 0 |
| Roscommon | 2 | 0 |
| Sligo | 1 | 0 |
| Tipperary | 2 | 1 |
| Waterford | 12 | 0 |
| Westmeath | 1 | 0 |
| Wexford | 32 | 3 |
| Wicklow | 6 | 1 |
| Total | 94 | 7 |
Vaccination
Only about half of Ireland's mature breeding herds and flocks are currently vaccinated against bluetongue virus.
This is according to the chairperson of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association's (ICMSA) livestock committee, Michael O'Connell, who urged farmers to be "proactively vigilant in the face of a concerning rise in the number of cases".
Agriland previously reported that some four million doses of BTV-3 (bluetongue) vaccines were supplied to private veterinary practitioners in Ireland as of late October.
O'Connell stressed that this figure was "a long way from fulfilling the needs of all breeding stock whether it be bovine or ovine".
"Based on the latest Central Statistics Office figures, the number of dairy cows and suckler cows stood at 2.45 million cows, while breeding ewes stood at 2.7 million," O'Connell said.
He added that, if it was assumed that a double shot vaccine was administered to cows and a single shot to sheep, it equated to roughly 50% of mature breeding herds and flocks in Ireland being vaccinated, "never mind the replacement stock".
"It just underlines the importance of farmers contacting their vets immediately for advice if in doubt and – most importantly – insisting on fallen animals being tested for [bluetongue]," the ICMSA representative said.
