Fourth Case Of Bluetongue Confirmed

It has been reported that the Stormont Agriculture committee has called on the Agriculture Minister, Michelle Gildernew, to appear before them to discuss the recent outbreak of Bluetongue disease.

The fourth case of the animal disease was confirmed today by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

An animal tested positive for the disease on a third premises in England.

DEFRA said that at this stage there is insufficient evidence to confirm an active outbreak, as it cannot be demonstrated that the disease is circulating.

A 3km Temporary Control Zone has been put in place around premises near Maidenhead, Berkshire within the existing surveillance measure, as a precautionary measure.

Northern Irish farmers were recently urged to remain vigilant for symptoms of Bluetongue, following the detection in one animal last Saturday, on premises near Ipswich, Suffolk in England.

Meanwhile, the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has said the confirmed case in the East of England is a worry for the local farming industry in Northern Ireland.

Kenneth Sharkey, President of the UFU, said: "This disease, which is carried by midges, has spread relentlessly across Northern Europe in the past few years. News that an incident has emerged in England will heighten concerns in the local industry that the disease may eventually appear on the island of Ireland."

Mr Sharkey said the two major implications of the disease are that it causes mortality, particularly in infected sheep flocks, but also in cattle; and an outbreak locally would mean the introduction of control zones, potentially leading to export restrictions on live animals from Northern Ireland.

(LC)