IRELAND faces a huge animal health problem because of the spread of brucellosis, which causes cows to abort their calves, the Irish Veterinary Association has warned.
A statement from the IVA says 100 herds have been depopulated in the first 10 months of this year. A further 300 are currently restricted in movement because of the disease, which is costing farmers and the State £5 million a year.
The statement says pre-movement blood testing of breeding animals for brucellosis was discontinued as a "bonus" to farmers in 1988, four years after Ireland was officially declared free of the disease.
In 1991 when there were only 12 farms restricted with the disease, it became known that dealers were selling breeding animals from infected herds," the statement adds.
It says the IVA warned of a brucellosis "time bomb" unless pre-movement blood testing was reintroduced because the declaration that Ireland is free of the disease means vaccine can no longer be used to provide protection.
The statement says that because animals cannot be vaccinated, cows can be easily infected and 60 per cent of infection now comes from neighbouring herds.