Early indications from testing carried out to-date under the Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) national eradication programme points to the potential of significant further progress in 2022.
Data published by Animal Health Ireland (AHI) up to week nine of 2022 shows 77 calves identified as recording an initial positive or inconclusive result without a negative retest result.
This compares to 158 calves for the corresponding period in 2021, with numbers to-date more than halving.
From these 77 calves, 48 head or 62.3% have been recorded dead, with this figure broadly in line with 2021.
The latest ICBF calf registration statistics for the week ending 4 March shows calf birth registrations running at 856,878 head
As detailed in the results table below, the lower number of calves recording an initial positive or inconclusive test is feeding in to a reduced number of positive herds, with 56 herds associated compared to 94 in the corresponding period in 2021.
Laboratories are in their peak timeframe for testing, with upwards of one million births likely in February and March, along with in excess of 200,000 calves born in January.
The latest ICBF calf registration statistics for the week ending 4 March shows calf birth registrations running at 856,878 head. This is a slight increase on 2021 levels, but calf births are likely to be running significantly higher due to the 27-day period for registering calves.
Herd investigations
Reports indicate that the lower initial positive test results recorded to-date in 2022 are due in part to Targeted Advisory Service on Animal Health (TASAH) herd investigations taking place in 2021 following the disclosure of a BVD test positive or inconclusive animal.
The herd investigations comprise of a mandatory herd epidemiological investigation, funded by the Department, a whole herd BVD test and vaccination against BVD for all eligible females in these herds in 2022 and 2023.
To secure BVD-free status under the EU Animal Health law, Ireland must achieve an 18-month period without the disclosure of a confirmed BVD persistently infected (PI) animal
It is vital that significant progress is made in reducing the number of calves that record a positive or inconclusive BVD test result so that Ireland can finally move to a position of achieving BVD-free status and move away from mandatory tissue-tagging and testing of all calves born.
To secure BVD-free status under the EU Animal Health law, Ireland must achieve an 18-month period without the disclosure of a confirmed BVD persistently infected (PI) animal, with 99.8% of cattle herds BVD free accounting for 99.9% of the bovine population.
2022 restrictions and financial supports
The practice of herds being automatically restricted once a BVD test positive result is identified and notifications being sent to neighbouring holdings will continue in 2021.
The herd restriction will apply from one day following the date of the initial BVD positive or inconclusive test.
There is no process to undertake confirmatory testing on ear-notch (tissue sample) positive samples conducted under the programme in 2022, which means that animals that record a positive reading on their tissue tag test will not have an option to be retested.
The BVD financial supports programme funded by the Department of Agriculture continues to focus on encouraging the swift removal of BVD test positive animals by offering higher payments for removal. The financial supports available in 2022 are as follows:
Dairy herds
€160 if female dairy and dairy cross animals are removed within 10 days of the first positive or inconclusive test result.€30 if female dairy and dairy cross animals are removed between day 11 and 21 of the first positive or inconclusive test result.€30 towards the disposal of dairy bull calves through the abattoir or knackery within 14 days of the first positive or inconclusive test result.Beef herds
€220 if the animal is removed within 10 days of the first positive or inconclusive test result.€30 if the animal is removed between day 11 and 21 of the first positive or inconclusive test result.
Early indications from testing carried out to-date under the Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) national eradication programme points to the potential of significant further progress in 2022.
Data published by Animal Health Ireland (AHI) up to week nine of 2022 shows 77 calves identified as recording an initial positive or inconclusive result without a negative retest result.
This compares to 158 calves for the corresponding period in 2021, with numbers to-date more than halving.
From these 77 calves, 48 head or 62.3% have been recorded dead, with this figure broadly in line with 2021.
The latest ICBF calf registration statistics for the week ending 4 March shows calf birth registrations running at 856,878 head
As detailed in the results table below, the lower number of calves recording an initial positive or inconclusive test is feeding in to a reduced number of positive herds, with 56 herds associated compared to 94 in the corresponding period in 2021.
Laboratories are in their peak timeframe for testing, with upwards of one million births likely in February and March, along with in excess of 200,000 calves born in January.
The latest ICBF calf registration statistics for the week ending 4 March shows calf birth registrations running at 856,878 head. This is a slight increase on 2021 levels, but calf births are likely to be running significantly higher due to the 27-day period for registering calves.
Herd investigations
Reports indicate that the lower initial positive test results recorded to-date in 2022 are due in part to Targeted Advisory Service on Animal Health (TASAH) herd investigations taking place in 2021 following the disclosure of a BVD test positive or inconclusive animal.
The herd investigations comprise of a mandatory herd epidemiological investigation, funded by the Department, a whole herd BVD test and vaccination against BVD for all eligible females in these herds in 2022 and 2023.
To secure BVD-free status under the EU Animal Health law, Ireland must achieve an 18-month period without the disclosure of a confirmed BVD persistently infected (PI) animal
It is vital that significant progress is made in reducing the number of calves that record a positive or inconclusive BVD test result so that Ireland can finally move to a position of achieving BVD-free status and move away from mandatory tissue-tagging and testing of all calves born.
To secure BVD-free status under the EU Animal Health law, Ireland must achieve an 18-month period without the disclosure of a confirmed BVD persistently infected (PI) animal, with 99.8% of cattle herds BVD free accounting for 99.9% of the bovine population.
2022 restrictions and financial supports
The practice of herds being automatically restricted once a BVD test positive result is identified and notifications being sent to neighbouring holdings will continue in 2021.
The herd restriction will apply from one day following the date of the initial BVD positive or inconclusive test.
There is no process to undertake confirmatory testing on ear-notch (tissue sample) positive samples conducted under the programme in 2022, which means that animals that record a positive reading on their tissue tag test will not have an option to be retested.
The BVD financial supports programme funded by the Department of Agriculture continues to focus on encouraging the swift removal of BVD test positive animals by offering higher payments for removal. The financial supports available in 2022 are as follows:
Dairy herds
€160 if female dairy and dairy cross animals are removed within 10 days of the first positive or inconclusive test result.€30 if female dairy and dairy cross animals are removed between day 11 and 21 of the first positive or inconclusive test result.€30 towards the disposal of dairy bull calves through the abattoir or knackery within 14 days of the first positive or inconclusive test result.Beef herds
€220 if the animal is removed within 10 days of the first positive or inconclusive test result.€30 if the animal is removed between day 11 and 21 of the first positive or inconclusive test result. 
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