Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 193: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of animals in each county which have been diagnosed with tuberculosis in the years 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005; the number of these animals which were tuberculosis free when slaughtered in factory; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8693/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The following table shows the number of tuberculosis reactors disclosed between 2002 and 2005. Ireland's bovine tuberculosis eradication programme comprises the comprehensive surveillance of all herds, which are tested annually, and additional risk-based testing in other herds, a proactive wildlife programme in the area of infective outbreaks, the routine application of gamma interferon assay in infected herds and full herd tests at six-monthly intervals post derestriction in respect of the latter herds for a two year period.

Cattle are tested on holdings using the approved single intradermal comparative tuberculin test. The test is highly reliable with a sensitivity of 90% and specificity of 99.9%. Cattle which react positively to the test must be deemed to be reactors for the purpose of the programme.

With regard to the number of reactors which are "tuberculosis free" at slaughter, the position is that many animals exposed to and infected with bovine tuberculosis are slaughtered as reactor animals without confirmation of tuberculosis, for example, the detection of visible lesions. This is normal and to be expected in a situation where the examination is done as part of a routine slaughter at commercial "kill" speeds and conditions and where tuberculin testing is conducted annually. In view of this, it is not possible to state the number of these animals which were tuberculosis free when slaughtered in the factory.