Modelling showed midges carrying bluetongue virus along Irish coast

Mr Kyle said the virus frequently causes abortions and fertility issues in cattle and sheep.

Midges carrying bluetongue virus have likely been circulating along the east coast of the island, modelling conducted in the wake of the recent outbreak in Northern Ireland has shown.

The North’s deputy chief veterinary officer David Kyle, said the modelling was “very interesting”, and showed that it was likely cases could be much more widespread than originally expected.

“It would show that plumes [of midges] are all along the eastern seaboard, from the south of Ireland all the way up. So that’s what leads to suggestions that this disease could be more prevalent out there than we were initially detecting,” he said, responding to a question from Sinn Fein MLA Declan McAleer, asking if modelling had identified why the outbreak occurred in Down specifically.

Mr Kyle appeared alongside agriculture minister Andrew Muir, and DAERA permanent secretary Katrina Godfrey.

They said it was suspected the virus may have been circulating around the island since early to mid-September and throughout October.

“It’s an emerging picture and the more data we get, the better,” said Mr Muir.

During the session, Mr Kyle said there was “no epidemiological rationale” for culling the infected animals. “They don’t pose any greater significant risk to other herds,” he told the committee.

Mr Kyle said the virus frequently causes abortions and fertility issues in livestock.

“It depends on what trimester of pregnancy they’re infected in. If they are infected in the first third of pregnancy, usually it results in abortion.”

He said lessons had been learned from Schmallenberg, another viral disease also carried by midges.

“In a year when Schmallenberg can affect Northern Ireland, it can produce quite devastating impacts. Bluetongue is a little bit more predictable, because it will be year on year,” he said.

Although three vaccines were given emergency approval this summer, mandatory vaccination is not something the department is considering at the moment, Mr Muir said.

“We’re going in to winter now — it’s colder — there is a potential that the most population will overwinter, and that’s where they’ll come back and where they come back in spring. So that’s why, even if we get through the next few weeks with no further cases, and we can’t be guaranteed of that, just be conscious this hasn’t gone away.”