Written answers

Tuesday, 21 March 2017

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Animal Diseases

Photo of Martin KennyMartin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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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]

Photo of Michael CreedMichael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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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

Year2010201120122013201420152016
271224304962

Mycoplasma bovis diagnoses by county and year

2010CountyNumber of diagnoses
Wexford1
Meath1
2010 total2
2011
Cork3
Roscommon1
Laois1
Meath1
Westmeath1
2011 total7
2012
Laois1
Cork3
Offaly2
Westmeath2
Tipperary1
Meath2
Roscommon1
2012 total12
2013
Roscommon2
Cork6
Meath6
Galway3
Limerick1
Offaly2
Sligo1
Kilkenny1
Laois1
Wexford1
2013 total24
2014
Donegal1
Cork10
Meath2
Westmeath2
Galway2
Wexford1
Limerick2
Louth1
Tipperary2
Laois2
Roscommon1
Kilkenny1
Mayo1
Offaly1
Tipperary1
2014 total30
2015
Cork3
Donegal3
Dublin1
Galway1
Kerry1
Kildare1
Kilkenny5
Laois2
Limerick1
Louth3
Mayo1
Meath2
Offaly4
Roscommon7
Sligo4
Tipperary1
Westmeath6
Wexford3
2015 total49
2016
Cavan2
Clare2
Cork8
Clare1
Donegal1
Galway4
Kerry1
Kildare1
Kilkenny9
Laois3
Leitrim1
Limerick1
Longford2
Mayo3
Meath1
Monaghan1
Offaly4
Roscommon8
Sligo1
Tipperary2
Westmeath4
Wexford2
2016 total62

Photo of Martin KennyMartin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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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]

Photo of Michael CreedMichael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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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.

Photo of Martin KennyMartin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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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]

Photo of Michael CreedMichael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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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.

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