Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 December 2025
509. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the actions his Department is taking to monitor the spread of bluetongue; if any forecasting exercise has been undertaken by his Department in relation to the likelihood of spread across the island of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70907/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraBluetongue virus (BTV) is spread by infected biting midges (Culicoides species), or via infected semen and germinal products. It can also spread transplacentally in pregnant animals. BTV transmission primarily occurs when biting midges feed off the blood of an infected animal and subsequently spread the virus to animals they bite. Midge activity levels are dependant on average temperatures. Scientific research shows that virus replication within midges can only occur when average daily temperatures exceed 12 degrees centigrade, and the cycle can take between 4 days (at hotter temperatures) and 20 days (at cooler temperatures, just above 12 degrees). The high-risk period for BTV spread is thus when midges are most active during the summer months.
Wind speed and direction can also affect how far midges can travel and could potentially facilitate the spread of disease. UCD Centre for Veterinary Epidemiology and Risk Analysis uses Met Éireann wind speed and direction data to provide my Department with maps showing potential dispersal of midges from Great Britain into Ireland. This informs my Department's surveillance planning.
My Department is implementing additional targeted and risk-based BTV surveillance on foot of the recent news from Northern Ireland. On-farm surveillance blood sampling of cattle and sheep, testing of livestock submitted to Regional Veterinary Laboratories and sampling of cattle routinely slaughtered at meat plants are all being ramped up. My Department is also arranging geographically targeted surveillance taking account of developments in Northern Ireland.
