Written answers
Tuesday, 23 July 2024
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Animal Diseases
Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
1683.To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of herds currently restricted with TB, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32650/24]
Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a challenging disease to control and eradicate. I am committed to making real progress in controlling TB as I am aware of the financial and emotional trauma associated with a TB breakdown for farmers.
Nationally as of 14th July 2024, on a 12-month rolling basis, herd incidence increased to 5.29% compared to 4.60% at the same time last year. In the past 12 months 5,391 herds were restricted, compared to 4,755 in the previous 12-month period.
For the purposes of clarity, the 5,391 herds are herds that are either currently restricted or were restricted during the date range 15th July 2023 to 14th July 2024. The link below shows these details by county.
Ireland's bovine TB Eradication Programme is guided by national and international scientific research and advice. A large body of peer-reviewed research has been conducted into the spread of TB in Ireland and the risks underlying its transmission. This research has found that the principal causes of TB introduction and spread include:
- movement of infected cattle with undetected infection.
- residual infection in cattle previously exposed to TB.
- spread across farm boundaries from infected cattle to uninfected cattle.
- indirect spread through other biosecurity breaches, and/or
- spread from infected badgers to uninfected cattle.
As the spread of this disease is multifactorial, it is being fought on many fronts. The TB programme in each county focuses on factors including how disease is distributed in the area, contiguous programmes, gamma interferon testing, cleansing and disinfection, testing compliance and swift isolation and removal of reactors and wildlife.
Each TB outbreak is investigated by a veterinary inspector to identify the source of infection. In the case of every outbreak involving three or more standard reactors, there is a veterinary visit to advise the herdowner on how to eliminate infection and measures necessary to help reduce the risk of recurrence. Emphasis is placed on the biosecurity measures a farmer can take to reduce risks on their farm, including when buying in animals.
I am committed to reducing TB incidence rates across the country. Since I launched the TB Strategy in 2021 stakeholders have been working collectively to reduce TB rates. We must keep this going with the ultimate aim of eradicating TB from the herd.
The details of the TB Strategy along with the results of the review are available on www.bovinetb.ie.
Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
1684.To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the research being carried out to develop a vaccine for bovine tuberculosis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32651/24]
Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
The main Global body of research on developing a vaccine for tuberculosis in bovine animals is being carried out by Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in the UK. My Department continues to engage with colleagues in DEFRA and is monitoring this very closely. To date the biggest issue with a vaccine for cattle has been the lack of availability of a test that is capable of distinguishing between an animal that is truly infected and one that has been vaccinated.
The candidate vaccine, CattleBCG, a BCG strain, has shown in past studies to reduce TB severity in cattle. Whilst offering promise, it needs further testing however to determine its effectiveness in field conditions.
A DIVA (differentiating infected from vaccinated animals) skin test has now also been developed to distinguish between infected and vaccinated animals, addressing the issue of false positives to tests caused by BCG vaccination. This test too, however needs validation and if validated and approved, will be crucial for the effective use of CattleBCG, aligning with international standards set by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).
Field trials are underway to evaluate the safety and performance of both this vaccine and the DIVA Test. Phase 1 assessed this test in unvaccinated cattle, while Phase 2 focused on safety in vaccinated cattle. Phase 3 will expand these tests to more herds.
The latest phase (Phase 2) of the TB vaccine field trials has concluded. Phase 3 will aim to gather more data on the DIVA test's ability to accurately identify non-infected cattle and improve its performance. Phase 3 will also involve testing BCG vaccination and the companion DIVA skin test on a wider range of herds.
However, it should be noted that even if the research is successful there are a significant number of legal and international trade obstacles to be surmounted before a vaccine for tuberculosis in bovine animals can be used as part of our bovine TB eradication programme.
No comments