Ireland 'on the cusp of BVD freedom' - AHI
The national programme for tackling bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) "has delivered”, with Ireland “on the cusp of BVD freedom” according to Animal Health Ireland (AHI).
Patrick Donohoe, CEO of AHI, made the comments at today's (May 6, 2026) meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food.
Donohoe was joined by Dr. Maria Guelbenzu, programme manager for the BVD Eradication Programme.
Context
To “paint a picture” for the committee, Donohoe described the situation with BVD infections on May 6, 2011.
He said that at that time, BVD was "rampant across the country".
Donohoe then compared the situation with today, saying: “We are truly on the cusp of BVD freedom”.
He added that BVD “didn't arrive suddenly into Ireland”.
He said: “It became endemic in Ireland the same way it did across most of the cattle-producing world: gradually, over decades, through live animal trade."
He added that by the time the compulsory eradication programme was launched on January 1, 2013, the virus had been circulating in Irish herds for so long that "herd-level antibody prevalence was approaching 100%".
He said: “That year, 9,066 Irish herds, approximately 11.7% of the national breeding herd, had BVD. Roughly one in every nine herds in the country.
“By end of 2025, that number had fallen to around 200 herds. Today, we have approximately 100 herds remaining.”
Positive trend
Although this figure is expected to rise in 2026, Donohoe said that AHI is seeing positive trends.
He explained : “Since the start of the programme, there has been reduction of more than 97%.
“That is what collective effort looks like.
“And the collective effort element is crucial because this is a programme that started in response to an ask from farmers, vets, scientists and academics as well as the wider industry.”
Donohue added that a 2010 study, which involved significant farmer surveying and consultation, found that a BVD eradication programme was critical.
“I sincerely thank the farmers who have diligently tagged and tested their calves each year.
“They are the ones who have driven this programme forward," he said.
Donohoe also thanked the vets, industry bodies and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine for the "vision and leadership" they showed in establishing the BVD Eradication Programme.
Frustration
Donohoe went on to note that the length of the programme had caused frustration, which he described as “legitimate”.
He added: “Unfortunately, eradication of a disease is not a simple exercise.
“It is impacted by many possible variations including the behaviour of the disease agent, the animal populations affected, the availability, effectiveness and appropriate usage of vaccines, and, indeed, human behaviour.
“Progress is rarely linear and can be an uphill battle at all times requiring tweaks and changes.”
However, Donohoe stressed that the facts “speak for themselves”.
He added: "The BVD Programme has delivered, it is delivering, and it will deliver BVD freedom if we stand together and finish the job.
“Each year, we work with the BVD technical working group and implementation group to develop and introduce further measures that supress BVD.
“Each year these measures have worked and our focus in 2026 is building on biosecurity, vaccination, forward tracing and other ways to supress this virus.”
Economy
Donohoe stressed that the programme has “delivered for the economy”.
He said: “A study carried out by AHI last year found that the BVD programme delivers annual savings of €183m through healthier animals, reduced antibiotic usage and so on.”
Before closing, Donohoe offered cautionary tales.
The first one involved Ireland’s experience with brucellosis in the early 1990s. Despite being down to nine herds with the disease, it took “another two decades to finish” in Ireland.
Donohoe added: “In the 1960s, the then Minister for Agriculture Charlie Haughey wrote to his department staff thanking them for eradicating TB (bovine tuberculosis), the country was down to just over 40 herds - It too was let slip.”
“We cannot allow the same to happen with BVD. We are at the end of this journey. We must be brave, go full throttle, and finish what farmers, vets, industry and government started together 14 years ago.
“We can do this and we will do this if we stand together and finish the job.”
AHI
AHI is a not-for-profit public-private partnership, established in 2009, that brings together farmers, vets, industry and government.
It is focused on controlling endemic diseases that significantly impact Irish farming profitability through reduced production, fertility issues, and increased veterinary costs.
