Brucellosis in 0.5% of NI herds
The UK’s live cattle exports will resume this summer, 10 years after BSE restrictions were imposed, but with a ‘buyer beware’ warning tag on cattle going south.
Although Northern Ireland’s cattle herds were declared Officially Brucellosis Free (OBF) in 1982, a flare up of the disease across south Armagh in 2001 ended the OBF status.
Today, the efforts of the Veterinary Service in the North, strongly supported by the Ulster Farmers’ Union, have much reduced incidence of the disease, leaving just 288 reactors in 2005, compared to 820 in 2004 (which in turn compares to a 32 counties peak incidence of 1,081 new herd restrictions in 1998). Some suggest that an improving security situation in south Armagh has helped in brucellosis eradication.
The disease had re-emerged in 1996, and increased steadily.
In 1997 and 1998, three primary outbreaks were linked to cross-border activity. Infection in Armagh proved difficult to eradicate, and it spread to Newry.
Infection has also occurred in Enniskillen, and 80.6% of all confirmed outbreaks from January, 1998 to October, 2001 occurred in these divisions.
Due to the foot-and-mouth epidemic in early 2001, testing was restricted to high-risk herds.
But eradication in more recent years was aided by checking cull cows at meat plants, and ELISA milk testing all dairy farms, which identifies problem herds up to two years earlier.
Currently, Northern Ireland herd prevalence is at around 0.5% (one herd in every 200 restricted), representing an animal incidence of 0.05% (one animal in 2000 went positive for brucellosis during 2005).
Department of Agriculture and Rural Development spokesman Martin Moore says the ELISA test identified three reactor herds in 2005.
According to Wilson Kennedy, partner in one of the province’s best known veterinary practices, the decline in brucellosis has been “quite dramatic in recent years”.
“Farmers felt aggrieved about the extra cost when pre-movement blood testing was introduced, but it means replacement dairy heifers can be bought with confidence,” the Co Antrim vet said.
John Martin, the Holstein breeders’ spokesman in Northern Ireland, say s the campaign to regain Officially Brucellosis Free status is going well. “Pre-movement blood testing gives buyers peace of mind and has ensured sales of high genetic merit dairy heifers to the mainland continued, albeit in small numbers.” Asked about prospects for marketing dairy herd replacements into the Republic, Mr Martin was realistic about the issue. “As pedigree breeders, we do not expect a rapid resumption of large scale cross border trade with our fellow milk producers. “There will be a trickle of heifers going south, mostly into adjacent counties such as Cavan, Monaghan, Louth and, of course, Donegal,” he predicted.
“Through time, numbers will grow, as Northern Ireland breeders have concentrated on selecting for yield at a time when breeders further south have swung towards using genetics from New Zealand.
“Farmers from Ireland’s dairy heartland in Munster will eventually look to Northern Ireland for breeding stock that add yield to their herds.
“It is unlikely numbers will ever return to the level seen 20 years ago, but there will be a two-way trade to the benefit of breeders in both parts of our island,” predicted Mr Martin.
Ian Stevenson, Ulster Farmers’ Union milk and animal health policy officer, said: “The UFU is adamant disease knows no borders, and urges government veterinary services in Belfast, Cardiff, Dublin, Edinburgh and London to work as one.”
