Written answers
Tuesday, 21 March 2017
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Animal Diseases
Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
1082. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of cases of mycoplasma bovis that have been brought to the attention of his Department for each year since 2007, by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13775/17]
Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
My Department has readily available data from its Laboratory Information Management System going back to 2010 and this is presented in tabular form.
This data shows a steady increase in the number of recorded diagnoses of Mycoplasma bovis infection in cattle presented to the Department's Veterinary Laboratory Service for post mortem examination between 2010 to 2016, the last full year for which we have data.
Diagnostic data on deaths in cattle due to Mycoplasma bovis
Extract from the DAFM Laboratory Information Management System and based on results of post mortem examination – data extracted 16 March 2017
Mycoplasma bovis diagnoses by year
Year | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 | 7 | 12 | 24 | 30 | 49 | 62 |
Mycoplasma bovis diagnoses by county and year
2010 | County | Number of diagnoses |
---|---|---|
Wexford | 1 | |
Meath | 1 | |
2010 total | 2 | |
2011 | ||
Cork | 3 | |
Roscommon | 1 | |
Laois | 1 | |
Meath | 1 | |
Westmeath | 1 | |
2011 total | 7 | |
2012 | ||
Laois | 1 | |
Cork | 3 | |
Offaly | 2 | |
Westmeath | 2 | |
Tipperary | 1 | |
Meath | 2 | |
Roscommon | 1 | |
2012 total | 12 | |
2013 | ||
Roscommon | 2 | |
Cork | 6 | |
Meath | 6 | |
Galway | 3 | |
Limerick | 1 | |
Offaly | 2 | |
Sligo | 1 | |
Kilkenny | 1 | |
Laois | 1 | |
Wexford | 1 | |
2013 total | 24 | |
2014 | ||
Donegal | 1 | |
Cork | 10 | |
Meath | 2 | |
Westmeath | 2 | |
Galway | 2 | |
Wexford | 1 | |
Limerick | 2 | |
Louth | 1 | |
Tipperary | 2 | |
Laois | 2 | |
Roscommon | 1 | |
Kilkenny | 1 | |
Mayo | 1 | |
Offaly | 1 | |
Tipperary | 1 | |
2014 total | 30 | |
2015 | ||
Cork | 3 | |
Donegal | 3 | |
Dublin | 1 | |
Galway | 1 | |
Kerry | 1 | |
Kildare | 1 | |
Kilkenny | 5 | |
Laois | 2 | |
Limerick | 1 | |
Louth | 3 | |
Mayo | 1 | |
Meath | 2 | |
Offaly | 4 | |
Roscommon | 7 | |
Sligo | 4 | |
Tipperary | 1 | |
Westmeath | 6 | |
Wexford | 3 | |
2015 total | 49 | |
2016 | ||
Cavan | 2 | |
Clare | 2 | |
Cork | 8 | |
Clare | 1 | |
Donegal | 1 | |
Galway | 4 | |
Kerry | 1 | |
Kildare | 1 | |
Kilkenny | 9 | |
Laois | 3 | |
Leitrim | 1 | |
Limerick | 1 | |
Longford | 2 | |
Mayo | 3 | |
Meath | 1 | |
Monaghan | 1 | |
Offaly | 4 | |
Roscommon | 8 | |
Sligo | 1 | |
Tipperary | 2 | |
Westmeath | 4 | |
Wexford | 2 | |
2016 total | 62 |
Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
1083. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his Department’s strategy for containing the mycoplasma bovis disease; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13776/17]
Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
Mycoplasma bovis has no implications for public health, food safety or international trade. Therefore this infectious disease is not regulated in Ireland or the EU and as such, my Department does not have a specific strategy for containing it.
However my Department is currently developing a “Farmed Animal Health Strategy” (having recently undertaken public consultation on a draft document) and is also developing a long-term strategy for laboratory service delivery (arising from a Strategic Review of Laboratory Services). These strategies address different aspects of the leadership and supports my Department provides in dealing with non-regulated diseases of food-producing animals. In addition my Department provides significant financial and other supports for Animal Health Ireland which has responsibility for developing and promoting control programmes for non-regulated diseases.
Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
1084. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the supports that his Department provides to farmers who discover mycoplasma bovis disease in their herds; if his Department offers preventative guidance to farmers in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13777/17]
Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
Mycoplasma bovis is now considered to be endemic in the Irish cattle population; it is occasionally associated with respiratory disease, arthritis and mastitis in infected cattle. Infection in cattle is generally amenable to treatment and control when outbreaks occur, with appropriate professional and laboratory supports. Mycoplasma bovis has no implications for public health, food safety or international trade. Therefore this infectious disease is not regulated in Ireland or the EU.
The diagnosis, treatment, control and prevention of all non-regulated or “production” diseases of animals is a matter for animal keepers and their veterinary practitioners.
My Department supports the control of non-regulated diseases which may cause losses of livestock, animal welfare problems and financial hardship for farmers (including that associated with Mycoplasma bovis infection) by providing:
- a veterinary laboratory diagnostic service, provided by a network of Regional Veterinary Laboratories (post mortem examination and testing of clinical specimens) and the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory at Backweston
- field investigation of new and emerging disease problems when this is indicated
- contributions to the farming press and presentation to the practising veterinary profession, informed by the findings of field and laboratory investigations and advising on disease prevention and control
- support for Animal Health Ireland (AHI) in developing and disseminating educational materials on non-regulated diseases for farmers and veterinary practitioners.
No comments