The latest bovine TB reactor statistics for NI, to the end of June 2025, show there was a sharp rise in the number of new reactor herds in that month. In total, there were 160 new reactor herds in June, which compares to 128 in June 2024 and 112 in same month in 2023. The increase has followed through into the latest overall herd incidence figure, which measures the rate of new TB breakdowns. Annual herd incidence has been rising since March 2025 and now stands at 10.80%.

Reactor animals

While June saw an increase in new reactor herds, the number of cattle removed off farms after positive TB tests, was down slightly to 1,298 head.

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Across the first six months of 2025, the number of reactor animals is virtually unchanged from the year previous at 9,282 head. However, that is still 23% more than the 2023 figure and 41% ahead of the first six months of 2022.

Trending

Disease statistics from the Republic of Ireland are also trending in the wrong direction, although rates of TB remain much lower than those in NI.

At the start of 2025, annual herd incidence in ROI stood at 6%.

By the end of June this figure had increased to 6.4%.