{"id":1338952,"date":"2024-06-28T16:45:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-28T15:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.agriland.ie\/?p=1338952"},"modified":"2024-06-28T16:00:00","modified_gmt":"2024-06-28T15:00:00","slug":"tb-over-4800-herds-bought-in-cattle-in-previous-two-years-prior-to-restriction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lightsail.agriland.ie\/farming-news\/tb-over-4800-herds-bought-in-cattle-in-previous-two-years-prior-to-restriction\/","title":{"rendered":"TB: Over 4,800 herds bought in cattle in previous two years prior to restriction"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Of the 5,242 herds restricted for bovine tuberculosis (TB) up to June, 4,800 of these herds had bought in cattle within the previous two years prior to restriction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was revealed by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue following a parliamentary question from Deputy Jackie Cahill on Wednesday, June 26.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Co. Tipperary T.D. asked the minister what the number of herds currently restricted for TB in which cattle were purchased in the previous two years is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minister McConalogue confirmed that 4,816 herds that are restricted for TB purchased cattle in the previous two years prior to the date of restriction of those herds.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The minister said: “Larger herds, fragmented farms, and herds that buy in cattle are all more at risk of TB breakdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“In addition, the expansion of the dairy herd since 2015 has had an impact on increasing TB levels also.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minister McConalogue stated that as of June 16,\u00a02024, on a 12-month rolling basis, herd incidence increased to 5.12% compared to 4.62% at the same time last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the past 12 months, 5,242 herds were restricted, compared to 4,776 in the previous 12-month period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minister McConalogue has said that trials on a TB vaccine are moving to a new phase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The minister said that the \u201cmain global body of research\u201d on developing such a vaccine is being carried out by Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo date the biggest issue with a vaccine for cattle has been the availability of a test <\/a>that is capable of distinguishing between an animal that is truly infected and one that has been vaccinated,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minister McConalogue noted that even if the research is successful there are \u201ca significant number of legal and international trade obstacles to be surmounted\u201d before a vaccine could be used as part of our national bovine TB eradication programme<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n