Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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80. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has information on the prevalence of mycoplasma bovis in Irish farms; the strategies which his Department is promoting to contain this disease; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38350/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Mycoplasma bovisis one of a range of micro-organisms that cause respiratory disease in calves and older cattle in Ireland as elsewhere. For example, Mycoplasma boviswas detected in 6% of cases of respiratory disease presented for diagnosis by post-mortem examination in 2012*. The Veterinary Laboratories of my Department provide a laboratory diagnostic service, advice and support and collated monthly and annual disease surveillance* information to assist practitioners and herdowners identify the causes of disease in their livestock, in order to apply optimally directed herd health programs in their herds. Less frequently, Mycoplasma boviscan occur as infection in one or more joints (arthritis) or as mastitis. DAFM Laboratories diagnosed a number of cases of arthritis and / or mastitis in dairy cows in nine Irish dairy herds in 2013 and in eight further dairy herds this year. In addition, DAFM Laboratories provided laboratory testing and technical disease control advice and support to private veterinary practitioners and herdowners, who implemented herd health programs specifically to control Mycoplasma bovismastitis and arthritis in their dairy cows. Most of these programs have been followed by the reduction in occurrence or cessation of new cases of Mycoplasma bovismastitis and arthritis in each of the affected herds.

*All-Island animal Disease Surveillance Report 2012,