ICMSA urges urgent bluetongue testing as Irish cases rise
The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) has called on livestock producers and veterinary authorities to expand testing and disease surveillance after confirmed cases of Bluetongue Virus Serotype 3 (BTV-3) in Ireland reached 48 by late October. Official figures recorded the increase during a period of warm, dry weather associated with larger populations of Culicoides biting midges, which transmit the virus.
Michael O’Connell, chairperson of the ICMSA livestock committee, said about four million BTV-3 vaccine doses had been distributed to private veterinary practitioners across the country. The association estimates that vaccination covers roughly 50% of mature breeding stock. Ireland has about 2.45m dairy and suckler cows and 2.7m breeding ewes, leaving a substantial proportion of the national breeding population without reported vaccine coverage.
The ICMSA criticised the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) over the timing of official communications and the implementation of the vaccination campaign. O’Connell said advisories encouraging herd vaccination, issued in October, came six months too late for spring-calving dairy and beef enterprises. The recommended protocol requires two doses, with the second administered at least four weeks before breeding, according to the association.
The group said that the timing of vaccination was important because infection during pregnancy can result in transmission across the placenta and embryonic loss. It also said that the autumn calving and drying-off periods exposed herds to risks affecting animal welfare and the duration of lactation. The vaccination programme was initially handled as a private commercial arrangement between farmers and their veterinary practitioners, the ICMSA said.
Vaccine packaging has created another obstacle for smaller farms. The administration has used 50-dose vials, which were produced under emergency arrangements for large commercial dairy operations in the Netherlands. The ICMSA said that farms with fewer than 50 animals, or herds not matching that quantity, faced wastage and higher costs per animal. Farmers have also raised concerns about cold-chain management and contamination risks when opened vials are shared between holdings.
Producer organisations have been in discussions with veterinary pharmaceutical manufacturers about smaller presentations for the spring 2027 season. The ICMSA is also seeking easier access to testing of dead stock, including tissue analysis and post-mortem examination, so that unexplained losses can be investigated and possible infection clusters identified without excessive laboratory charges.
BTV-3 can cause fever, oral ulceration, inflammation around the coronary band and lower milk yields in ruminants. The ICMSA said outbreaks could also affect livestock movements and exports if containment zones or movement restrictions were imposed. Such measures could disrupt shipments of dairy calves and breeding heifers to continental Europe and the United Kingdom, while increasing feed costs for animals held on farms. The association said diagnostic testing and carcass examinations were needed to establish the extent of infection and support veterinary decisions.
