On-farm testing of cattle for Brucellosis in NI is to end, DAERA Minister Edwin Poots has confirmed.

“Routine testing will now cease for all herds that have had a Brucellosis test completed within the past five years,” Minister Poots said.

A new surveillance programme for the disease will be rolled out from October.

It includes monthly bulk milk testing of all dairy herds, abattoir sampling of cull cows and testing of imported cattle.

The other element of the new programme is follow-up inquiries by vets into all reported abortion cases in cattle.

“While we are now effectively seeing the end of routine Brucellosis testing, we must not relax our attitude to the reporting of abortions, stillbirths and calves dying within 24 hours of birth or any other suspicion of Brucellosis,” Minister Poots said.

The changes to Brucellosis testing stems from NI receiving “Officially Brucellosis Free” status from the European Commission in October 2015, after the last case of brucellosis in NI was found in February 2012.

Herd tests

The new status meant that annual herd tests and pre-movement testing of breeding animals over 24 months of age could stop in NI.

DAERA officials were still required to maintain some level of on-farm Brucellosis testing for five years, with beef herds initially moving to one test every two years.

With the five-year period now up, DAERA vets were able to conduct a risk assessment and draw up the new surveillance programme.