Sheep
A TD has raised concern around the risk posed by bluetongue to sheep.
Agri-Business
It is advised that vaccination should be completed in animals to protect them against bluetongue prior to the high-risk vector season from May onwards.
The Department of Agriculture (DAFM) said bluetongue virus has now been confirmed in "multiple cattle herds" in southern and eastern areas.
Farmers are being urged to seek advice from their vets on how to manage the risk of bluetongue.
Bluetongue has been detected in a sixth herd in Co. Wexford, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has confirmed.
Beef
50 veterinary practices have applied for bluetongue serotype-3 (BTV 3) vaccine licences to date, the Department of Agriculture has confirmed.
The Department of Agriculture said the cow detected with bluetongue in Co. Wexford had no clinical symptoms, Agriland understands.
New research has revealed that smart monitoring can detect sub-clinical changes due to bluetongue infection in dairy cows.
The Department of Agriculture (DAFM) will hold a "detailed briefing" to discuss the confirmed bluetongue case today (Monday, January 26).
Dairy
The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers' Association (ICSA) has said it is "acutely disappointed" that bluetongue has been detected in Co. Wexford.
A suspect case of bluetongue is being investigated at a premises near Portavogie, Co. Down.
Sheep are more likely to show obvious clinical signs of bluetongue than cattle if they become infected, DAFM said.
It is "critical" that everything is done to prevent bluetongue from spreading, the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) has said.
Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon has confirmed that an outbreak of bluetongue has been detected in Co. Wexford.
This morning's confirmation of an outbreak of bluetongue in Co. Wexford "will have an impact on exports of cattle and sheep".
The confirmation of an outbreak of bluetongue in Co. Wexford is "hugely worrying" news, the ICMSA has said.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon has confirmed that an outbreak of bluetongue has been detected in Co. Wexford.
13 veterinary practices have applied for bluetongue vaccine licences, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has said.
A number of cases of bluetongue have been confirmed in Great Britain this year.
In December, Minister Martin Heydon announced that the use of bluetongue vaccination will be permitted in cattle and sheep in Ireland in 2026.
Latest government figures show there have been 266 cases of bluetongue in Great Britain in the 2025 bluetongue season.
Preliminary results of testing carried out on a Co. Down cattle herd have revealed suspected presence of bluetongue in a further 44 cattle.
Another case of the bluetongue virus serotype three (BTV-3) has being confirmed by Defra in East Sussex in the UK.
