The chair of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) Animal Health Committee, TJ Maher has urged farmers in north Kerry and west Limerick to consider bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) vaccinations for their breeding stock.
It comes as data from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has shown an increased concentration of cases of the disease in the region in recent months.
Department staff have launched full targeted advisory service on animal health (TASAH) investigations into each of the cases.
Animal Health Ireland (AHI) is due to speak with vets in the area as part of the investigation.
BVD
“What we’re seeing is from maps that are published monthly is that there is a pocket in that part of the country that just has a higher density of cases than other parts of the country for the last couple of months,” the IFA Animal Health chair said.
Although the number of cases is not high, Maher said on the basis of prudence farmers in those regions would be advised to vaccinate their breeding animals this year.
“That will almost guarantee you won’t have a PI [persistently infected animal] and you won’t suffer the consequences of having to restrict your calf movements next spring if a PI is found, and all the subsequent expenses that carries,” he said.
When a PI is detected in a herd, a farm is restricted for a period to ensure that there are no further animals carrying infection and that calves and transiently-infected (TI) animals have the disease pass through them before they are moved from the farm.
“So while it may be an expense and an inconvenience for this spring, I think just for that region it is prudent, as I would say for anywhere farmers are aware of a BVD case quite close to them.
“I think it is always still advisable to err on the side of caution and with BVD you can never be too cautious because it’s a disease that we have worked very hard to remove from the country.
“We are now down to counting cases in the low number of hundreds and hopefully getting even lower in 2023. I think every effort must be made to keep up our guard for the last 12 or 24 months while we’re on this process,” Maher said.
The incidence rate of BVD fell to 0.03% in 2022, down from 0.66% in 2013, the first year of the compulsory phase of the national BVD eradication programme.
Vaccination
“The key issue with vaccination is that it will protect the unborn calf. Assuming there’s no PIs in the herd that stops that animal becoming infected, particularly with transient infection.
“What we’ve learned is that transient infections have been responsible for the slow pace by which we finally got rid of this disease.
“So you’re protecting your unborn stock from that risk for the coming year if they’ve come in contact with a PI or a transiently-infected animal. Vaccinations are very effective in doing that, once they’re given at the appropriate time and properly.
“Obviously, the key with vaccinations is to follow veterinary advice,” Maher said.