Mr. David Graham:

A specific question was asked on international trade. The issue that arises in this regard is that a number of countries have either completed or are running IBR control programmes which are officially recognised by the European Commission. Under the terms of this recognition, the countries in question are able to restrict entry of cattle from countries or regions which lack a parallel control programme. I am not in a position to provide in-depth figures on animal numbers and costs but the economics and technical working group will address this issue in more detail. I agree, however, that, as other countries progress IBR control, it will create the potential to increasingly restrict markets for export of live animals.

On the question as to the potential to screen and what we have done in this regard, it is important to note that BVD and IBR are very different diseases in terms of control. In the case of BVD, approximately 0.6% to 0.7% of calves are persistently infected and these are the carriers we need to identify and deal with. The means by which IBR persists in a population is much different. The means of control is, therefore, also different. The use of vaccine to prevent the transmission of a virus within herds from carrier animals is at the heart of IBR control programmes. If we were to take a snapshot of the population, I estimate that between 70% and 80% of herds have a number of carrier animals. However, testing to identify and remove these animals is not a feasible option given the numbers that are typically involved.

It is more about vaccination to lock virus into those carrier animals and to drive a decrease in prevalence and ultimately freedom by that route.