The amount of cattle that have been slaughtered for bovine TB has increased during the first three months of 2017, according to statistics released by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

The number of animals culled was 2,849 in total, up 252 compared to the same time last year. This translates to a herd incidence rate of 2.60% nationally for the start of 2017, which is up from 2.39% for the same period in 2016.

Continuing on recent trends, the TB blackspots identified are once again to the east of the country – namely Wicklow (west), Dublin and Carlow.

Counties least affected are Mayo, Waterford and Leitrim.

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Province-by-province breakdown

Leinster

Wicklow West District Veterinary Office (DVO) had easily the highest incidence of reactors in Ireland, with 13 herds restricted out of 137 tested since the start of 2017. This gives a herd incidence percentage of 9.49%. There were 70 reactor animals from this region.

Wicklow East recorded a much lower herd incidence of 3.14%, less than one third of that of its neighbour, or nine out of 287 herds in 2017.

The range extended from the lowest-recorded percentage – 1.57% – recorded in Longford, to the 9.49% figure from Wicklow West.

The tables (below) show the number of reactor animals per county, as well as the herd incidence percentage in each case.

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Munster

In Munster, the highest incidence of animals reacting positive was recorded in Cork North DVO, where 51 herds were restricted out of 1,065 tested since the beginning of 2017. This equates to a percentage of 4.79% for the district. Cork South had a lower percentage of 3.87% (43 herds restricted out of 1,111 tested).

The lowest herd incidence in the province was in Waterford DVO where only five herds were restricted out of 407 this year (1.23%).

TB

Ulster & Connacht

The highest herd incidence in Ulster and Connacht was in Cavan DVO with 42 restricted herds out of 1,298 tested (3.24%). Monaghan had a herd incidence of 2.65% (31 out of 1,171 tested), while Galway had 1.80% (35 herds out of 1,940 tested).

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The lowest incidence was in Mayo, with a percentage of 1.22% or 25 herds restricted out of 2044 tested.