A “sharp increase” in the prevalence of blackleg disease among dead cattle referred for postmortem has been noted by the State’s regional veterinary laboratories.
The Department of Agriculture warned on Monday that “quite large” outbreaks have occurred on Irish farms with no history of the typically fatal disease. The factors behind these outbreaks are unclear, but prevention is straightforward as there are extremely effective vaccines, the department said.
Blackleg, officially titled clostridium chauvoei, is a common disease of cattle worldwide, and causes acute muscle damage and sudden death or death after a short illness. It is caused by the animals consuming an inactive form of bacteria, called clostridial spores, from soil. The spores are dormant in muscle until bruising, tearing or other metabolic factors facilitate germination that normally has fatal consequences, the department said.
It advised farmers to consult their vet for specific guidance on diagnosis and prevention of blackleg on their farm.
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TJ Maher, chair of the Irish Farmers Association’s animal health committee, said the association was made aware of reports of blackleg in farms in west Clare that would not normally see the disease. He encouraged cattle farmers to consult their local vet to discuss a blackleg vaccination programme if they have not already done so. The vaccine was inexpensive and “very effective”.
He said the disease was tough on farmers as they could find animals dead in a field that were perfectly healthy 24 hours earlier. There was very little a farmer could do once their animal had the disease.
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