Bovine TB crisis in Ireland: why cattle disease cases are at their highest in 15 years

With herd incidence at a 15-year high, bovine TB remains Irish farming’s most costly, persistent and emotionally draining disease

For Ireland’s massive cattle herd, bovine TB remains a costly and debilitating scourge. File photo

With the number of bovine tuberculosis cases passing 43,000 in Ireland this year and continuing to grow, the issue has emerged as a crisis in agriculture and one that national authorities have been trying to contend with for more than 70 years.

While the disease was a scourge of the human population in Ireland well into the 20th century, becoming one of the leading causes of death, advancements in treatments and containment meant it has been largely wiped out.