The Irish Natura and Hill Farmers' Association (INHFA) vice president John Joe Fitzgerald has called on the government to help farmers with the cost of bluetongue vaccines.

The comments come as the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has confirmed that bluetongue has been now detected in four cattle herds in Co. Wexford.

Bluetongue virus (BTV) serotype 3, was first confirmed in a cattle herd in the county on January 23.

The case was detected through the culled cow routine surveillance by the department in a slaughterhouse.

This is the first occurrence of BTV infection in a homebred animal in Ireland.

The department believes the likely source for the cases is a midge infected with bluetongue virus being blown across the Irish Sea last autumn.

Vaccines

In December, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon announced that the use of bluetongue vaccination will be permitted in cattle and sheep in Ireland in 2026.

This followed outbreaks of BTV-3 in Northern Ireland.

The department is advising cattle and sheep farmers who are concerned about the risk of bluetongue to discuss with their vet about whether the use of BTV-3 vaccines is the right choice for their circumstances.

DAFM said that BTV-3 vaccines do not fully stop infection/disease but "greatly reduce viremia and severity of clinical symptoms".

There are three BTV-3 vaccines approved for use in the EU, which can be used in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland currently.

Cost

John Joe Fitzgerald told Agriland that he has been told the vaccine could cost around €9 each for cattle and €4.50 for sheep.

The INHFA vice president said he has been informed that DAFM does not provide compensation for the cost of bluetongue vaccination for cattle or sheep.

He said the department said vaccination is an individual commercial decision by the keeper.

"It's a new disease. It's something else farmers will have to cope with going forward and especially this year. It's a learning curve for us.

"The government needs to step up to the mark here and say we will sponsor part of this or sponsor the whole lot of this vaccine," he said.

Along with the costs of vaccination, the INHFA vice president said farmers are worried about what impact the disease could have during lambing and calving this spring.

Fitzgerald said the department said it cannot predict how the virus will behave here in Ireland in the coming months, adding that there is a possibility of widespread outbreaks.

The department also informed the INHFA vice president that insecticides, such as pour-ons for sheep, are not protective against bluetongue and do not have a role in treatment.

Bluetongue

Bluetongue is a viral disease caused by bluetongue virus (BTV) which can cause severe clinical signs in ruminant species and camelids.

The department has stressed that are no public health risks associated with bluetongue as it does not affect human health or food safety.

Movements of livestock from farm to farm and from farm to slaughter, including those through marts, can continue as the cold temperatures prevent the virus, which is primarily spread by midges from replicating.

The department has said that surveillance in the south-east of the country is ongoing.