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North Cork had the highest number of bovine TB reactors in 2017, preliminary results from the Department of Agriculture show.
The region had 1,699 TB cases recorded.
The second highest county was Cavan, with 1,389 TB reactors and the third highest was Clare, with 1,146.
Longford had the lowest number of recorded cases in 2017, with just 73 TB reactors, marking a 74% drop in TB reactors since 2012.
Overall, since 2012, Co Clare has had the highest number of TB reactors in Ireland, with 7,940 reactors in the five-year period.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that new road and building construction has disturbed wildlife and badger sets, which led to the continued spread of the disease in the county.
ROI v NI
In total, an average of 16,500 TB reactors have been detected annually in the Republic of Ireland since 2012.
In contrast, Northern Ireland has an average of 10,646 TB reactors annually, with this figure expected to rise once DAERA includes the final 2017 test results.
A spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture in the Republic of Ireland told the Irish Farmers Journal: “Overall, the picture is a positive one given the disease risks associated with the increasing size of dairy herds, following the quota abolition and also the increase in the cattle population generally.”
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