Wildlife infection threat to bovine TB eradication

Infection in wildlife is the most significant remaining constraint to bovine TB eradication, according to the Department of Agriculture’s chief veterinary officer, Martin Blake.

He told the Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Natural Resources and Agriculture, “It was only in the 1990s it became apparent a wildlife reservoir was contributing to the disease. A lot of effort was made between the 1950s and 1990s to try to eradicate disease when infection was being fed back into cattle, and we were not aware of that.

“It was only when we carried out the east Offaly project in the 1990s that we demonstrated that, within Ireland, wildlife, in particular badgers, played a significant role in the perpetuation of disease in cattle. We hope that in 2014 we will be able to speak with greater certainty on when the ultimate objective of eradicating TB will be achievable,” said Mr Blake.