The Department of Agriculture is urging farmers nationwide to vaccinate their livestock for blackleg to avoid the economic loss of the “distressing disease”.
It comes after the Department’s regional veterinary laboratories noted a sudden surge in the number of cases of the clostridial disease in cattle referred to them for post mortem.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Dr Micheál Casey from the Department of Agriculture said: “We’ve noticed there’s been a spike in the number of cases we’re seeing.
“Over the summer months, we typically saw four or five case per month, but in July we had 10 and in the first week of August, we have had eight. And we have other cases in the system that aren’t confirmed yet.”
Risk factors
Blackleg is known to remain active in soil for long periods of time, often causing cases on the same farm or in particular fields.
“Heavy rain is certainly a factor. The organism lives in the soil’s spores, it can live for decades or centuries, and these are buoyant so sometimes flooding can bring them up,” Dr Casey added.
“If the soil gets wet, if the soil gets ploughed up by tractors or livestock’s feet, there could be more exposure to the soil happening.”
Complacency
The Department veterinarian is reminding farmers that “vaccination is the best strategy”, along with contacting your local vet for advice to ensure there is no outbreak in the herd.
“Perception of risk depends on experience,” he said.
“The danger is for a place where, for a generation or two, they haven’t seen a case and the animals may be unprotected.”
What is blackleg?
Blackleg is a common disease among both sheep and cattle, causing acute muscle damage after they consume clostridial spores in the soil, which can prove fatal.
If there is an early diagnosis of the disease in an animal, some vets will prescribe antibiotics for treatment, but, in most cases, there are no visible symptoms before a sudden death occurs.