New protocol ends routine Brucellosis testing

Agriculture Minister, Edwin Poots, has announced a revised surveillance protocol for Brucellosis testing which, he says, will help Northern Ireland retain its Officially Brucellosis Free (OBF) status.

The new approach will mean the end of routine testing for all herds that have had a Brucellosis test completed with the last five years.

Veterinary officers from DAERA recently carried out a veterinary risk assessment of the required levels of surveillance for the disease in local herds post-October 2020.

‘This revised surveillance protocol, with its effective ending of routine Brucellosis testing, will contribute to the ongoing positive landscape for Brucellosis controls and bring further related savings for farmers, the industry, taxpayers and DAERA,’ said the Minister, but he added:

‘Whilst we are now effectively seeing the end of routine Brucellosis testing, we must not relax our attitude to the reporting of abortions, stillbirths and calves dying within 24 hours of birth or any other suspicion of Brucellosis.

‘It is crucial that we continue to stay free of this highly infectious disease. Stakeholder cooperation has been instrumental in bringing us to this stage and farmers must continue to keep up their efforts to achieve excellent biosecurity standards and adopt appropriate stock replacement policies,’ he added.