Northern Ireland’s deputy chief vet has warned that an outbreak of Bluetongue in Co Down could become much more widespread after more suspected cases were identified.
The two suspected cases discovered in a herd of cattle on a holding near Bangor on Saturday have tested positive for the virus.
It has been revealed that a further 44 suspected cases have been identified in the same herd.
A livestock movement ban was introduced at the weekend with a 20km radius and officials in Stormont’s Department of Agriculture have been liaising with colleagues in the Republic of Ireland as part of all-island control measures.
Stormont’s Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir has expressed disappointment at the development.
He said plans are now in place for further testing on other farms in the 20km control zone.
“Due to the implications for farming throughout this island, I have spoken to my Irish Government counterpart Martin Heydon today and have briefed him on what we have learned so far and the measures we are taking,” he said.
Minister Heydon and the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) have both expressed concern about the outbreak and the potential impact if it was to spread.
It was also confirmed today that the virus, which is primarily spread through biting midges, may have been in the affected herd for up to two months.
That has raised concerns about the possible scale of the problem.
“We’ve been monitoring the midge plumes from the UK, we get good data from the Met Office on that,” said David Kyle, the deputy chief veterinary officer at Stormont’s Department for Agriculture.
“We’re estimating maybe September or October that the midge plumes have arrived here, and if they’ve been established in that area it’s very likely that they’ve spread elsewhere.
“Certainly the numbers of animals that have been affected in this farm have been quite alarming.”
This is the first outbreak of Bluetongue in Ireland, and there are already serious implications.
Northern Ireland’s border has been closed in terms of the cross border trade of breeding and production animals, and that restriction could be in place for up to two years.
IFA President Francie Gorman said the increase in the number of cases means that the highest level of vigilance is needed across the sector, and across the island.
“The lower temperatures and reduced midge activity at this time of year does provide the opportunity to contain the outbreak,” he said.
“The Department of Agriculture must work closely with DAERA in NI to achieve this and ensure we don’t have any disruption to trade.”
IFA Animal Health Chair TJ Maher said the Department of Agriculture must immediately move to have vaccines licensed and available for use.
While Bluetongue does not have implications for human health, it can have serious consequences for livestock and the agri-food industry, with movement restrictions in place on all animals in affected areas.