Sinn Féin has called on Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon to approve bluetongue vaccines for use on farms, as it warned that the disease’s midge vectors pay no heed to fences or borders.
The opposition party’s agriculture spokesperson Martin Kenny TD stated that another suspected case of bluetongue has been flagged in a Northern Ireland sheep flock the day after the virus was confirmed in two cows and suspected in 44 cattle from the same herd.
Deputy Kenny further told Minister Heydon to ensure adequate supplies of bluetongue vaccines are on hand, should a vaccination programme be needed south of the border.
“We know that bluetongue is on the island with an outbreak in Co Down earlier this week,” the Sinn Féin TD said.
“This is a very serious concern for farmers across the island of Ireland and I am calling on the Minister and his Department to approve the vaccine for bluetongue and have adequate stocks of the vaccine available so that we are ready to go with a roll-out of the vaccination programme if needed.”
Minister Heydon told the Irish Farmers Journal this summer that vaccinating livestock against bluetongue is a measure that will remain off the table unless the virus got a foothold in cattle and sheep here.
He stated on Thursday that “if bluetongue does arrive here, my goal is clear: to find it quickly and to eradicate it if possible”.
Threat looms
Deputy Kenny warned that animals “can hold the virus in their systems for up to six months”, which should be taken as a cause for alarm when springtime temperatures see an increase in midge activity.
“There are no fences or borders for midges and we could be looking at a major outbreak of the virus next spring and summer,” he commented.
“We need to be ready in the event this happens and the Minister and the Department need to have the vaccine ready to go.
“Now is the time to prepare to fight this disease. Hopefully it won’t be needed, but we cannot be in a situation where we are still looking for the vaccine and the disease is spreading like wildfire.”
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Bluetongue vaccines off table unless virus lands in Ireland – minister
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Bluetongue in NI confirmed as more suspected
Sinn Féin has called on Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon to approve bluetongue vaccines for use on farms, as it warned that the disease’s midge vectors pay no heed to fences or borders.
The opposition party’s agriculture spokesperson Martin Kenny TD stated that another suspected case of bluetongue has been flagged in a Northern Ireland sheep flock the day after the virus was confirmed in two cows and suspected in 44 cattle from the same herd.
Deputy Kenny further told Minister Heydon to ensure adequate supplies of bluetongue vaccines are on hand, should a vaccination programme be needed south of the border.
“We know that bluetongue is on the island with an outbreak in Co Down earlier this week,” the Sinn Féin TD said.
“This is a very serious concern for farmers across the island of Ireland and I am calling on the Minister and his Department to approve the vaccine for bluetongue and have adequate stocks of the vaccine available so that we are ready to go with a roll-out of the vaccination programme if needed.”
Minister Heydon told the Irish Farmers Journal this summer that vaccinating livestock against bluetongue is a measure that will remain off the table unless the virus got a foothold in cattle and sheep here.
He stated on Thursday that “if bluetongue does arrive here, my goal is clear: to find it quickly and to eradicate it if possible”.
Threat looms
Deputy Kenny warned that animals “can hold the virus in their systems for up to six months”, which should be taken as a cause for alarm when springtime temperatures see an increase in midge activity.
“There are no fences or borders for midges and we could be looking at a major outbreak of the virus next spring and summer,” he commented.
“We need to be ready in the event this happens and the Minister and the Department need to have the vaccine ready to go.
“Now is the time to prepare to fight this disease. Hopefully it won’t be needed, but we cannot be in a situation where we are still looking for the vaccine and the disease is spreading like wildfire.”
Read more
Bluetongue vaccines off table unless virus lands in Ireland – minister
Department’s bluetongue testing ‘ramped up’ after NI cases confirmed
Bluetongue in NI confirmed as more suspected
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