Four adjoining Munster counties have the highest incidence of Bovine TB in livestock over the past year, according to the latest Department Agriculture results.
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Almost 6,000 animals were identified with infection in herds in Cork, Kerry, Limerick and Clare. This represented 34pc of the total number of reactors identified in testing during the 12 months to the end of September. Cork had the highest number at 2,175 infected animals.
Excluding Dublin, which had 52 reactors, Longford had the lowest number of infected animals at just 130. Louth had 162 TB reactors and Kildare 166.
Wicklow had the highest number of TB reactors in Leinster at 1,172 animals. Over 80pc of the infected animals were found in West Wicklow, raising concern regarding the influence of wildlife in the spread of the disease.
It has also been suggested that felling of forestry plantations may be a factor in the increased level of TB in some areas, as wildlife is disturbed and moves out of forests once felling starts.
The Full Listing:
Carlow 34
Cavan 722
Clare 1,708
Cork North 1,260
Cork South 915
Donegal 406
Dublin 52
Galway 994
Kerry 1,055
Kildare 166
Kilkenny 412
Laois 593
Leitrim 228
Limerick1,021
Longford 130
Louth 162
Mayo 327
Meath 760
Monaghan 588
Offaly 565
Roscommon 772
Sligo 363
Tipperary N 716
Tipperary S207
Waterford 488
Westmeath 739
Wexford 855
Wicklow E 1,002
Wicklow W 170
(Source – Irish Independent – Indo Farming – Martin Ryan – 19/11/2014)