Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 40: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the action her Department is taking arising from the discovery of equine infectious anaemia here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24615/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has confirmed the presence of Equine Infectious Anaemia (EIA) in horses from two separate establishments in Co. Meath. My Department's immediate priority has been to identify the extent of the disease and to trace the direct and indirect contacts from the infected premises. The two premises in question are now both under restriction for trade purposes.

My Department has been tracing those horses which, since 1 March 2006, have passed through the premises on which the infected horses were located. Results of blood tests from other horses on the infected premises have, to date, been negative for EIA. The Department had also advised any other Member States to which horses were exported from the infected premises since the suspected date of infection and the date of confirmation and all blood test results from any such horses have, to date, been negative, though they are not yet complete.

As a further precaution, and in the interests of horse owners, trainers, stud managers and the bloodstock industry, my Department has advised that all horses that may have moved during the breeding season be tested for any evidence of the disease. Approximately 900 test results on horses in 20 different premises carried out by owners/trainers/stud managers throughout the bloodstock industry have all been negative for EIA.

Based on our enquiries and the knowledge acquired to date, including all of the negative test results of which we have been made aware, we have no reason to believe that the disease is any more widespread than those cases of which we are currently aware.

Our enquiries are continuing with regard to the source of the disease. However, our initial investigations suggest that the source of the disease may have been from imported equine serum that was inadvertently or accidentally contaminated with the EIA virus prior to importation.

Until our investigations in this regard have been completed it would be inappropriate for me to comment any further on this aspect.