Bluetongue disease has been detected in Northern Ireland for the first time. However, because of the circumstances Northern Ireland remains officially bluetongue free, since an outbreak is only confirmed when a country finds that the infection is circulating.
Michelle Gildernew, Northern Ireland Minister for Agriculture, confirmed that bluetongue disease has been found in a dairy cow in North Antrim, which had been imported from the Netherlands. The animal tested positive for the virus following routine post-import testing undertaken by the Department for Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD). Four more cases have since been found.
However, Ms Gildernew said the disease had been contained and that an epidemiological investigation, "Will help determine if disease is circulating, but at this time there is no evidence to suggest that it is. Therefore, at this time the North's bluetongue free status remains."
Notwithstanding the Ministry's action, the Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) are calling for an immediate voluntary end to livestock imports. UFU President, Kenneth Starkey, said the animal involved followed all the import control procedures and that, "The disease has, nevertheless, emerged so it is now clear the current import controls do not guarantee that we are protected."
UUP MEP Jim Nicholson said news of the disease made it clear that the already stringent controls on importing cattle were not quite stringent enough. Indeed, Ms Gildernew said, "European Regulations are not adequate in light of findings that bluetongue is not just transferred by the midge population."
Farmers have been warned not to import livestock from areas of Europe where the bluetongue virus is active.
