Tag Archives: TB

URGENT action to control the deer population, which is said to have “exploded” in areas like East Clare, is being sought, writes Fiona McGarry. Two farming organisations have appealed to the Department of Agriculture to reinstate a national forum to manage the population, as concerns intensify about links between bovine TB and uncontrolled numbers of certain deer species. The Deputy President of ICMSA has told the joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture that the presence and prevalence of Bovine TB after “70 years and counting” of continuous TB Eradication Programmes was a damning indictment of official oversight and efforts. Lorcan McCabe said that far from moving forward at an appropriate rate, the latest eradication programme seemed condemned to repeat the mistakes and inaction that had given us several decades of missed opportunities and often ruinous expense for farmers. Mr McCabe noted that ICMSA alone had attended 30 meetings on TB strategy in just the past year. He said that farmers “desperately” …

CLARE farmers are being urged to post back new controversial TB herd history letters to the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine as a form of protest. There has been a furious reaction by farming organisations and farmers to the department’s decision to send out these letters to herdowners. The call for a postal protest was made this week by Clare Beef Plan chairman, Joe Woulfe, who asked why the DAFM are doing this unnecessary measure, as farmers already know whether they had TB or were TB free over the last ten years. “If a farmer has TB, it is not something they will forget as you can’t move your cattle. “The Department aren’t offering a reward if a farmer didn’t have TB in one year or ten years. 96.5% of TB has been eradicated from the national herd. What is the definition of eradication? “In my view, it has been eradicated if 96.5% of the herd is TB free. …

SCREENING is understood to be underway at St Flannan’s College in Ennis, after a case of tuberculosis (TB) was identified at the school. While the HSE would not comment on individual cases, it stated that in incidences where there is a diagnosis of TB, an investigation is carried out to find out if there are any other cases. “The Department of Public Health does not comment on the management or investigation of individual cases of tuberculosis. All cases are managed and investigated as per national guidance. Although tuberculosis is contagious (ie, can spread from one person to another), it’s not easy to catch,” a HSE spokesperson stated. TB usually affects the lungs but can affect other parts of the body and is usually spread in the air. According to the HSE, if a person is diagnosed with TB, the person is offered treatment as soon as possible. When a case of TB is notified to the Department of Public Health, …

THE incidence of tuberculosis in the Mid-West fell from 26 to eight over a 12-month period, it has been confirmed There were 26 cases of tuberculosis in the Mid-West in 2016, despite a decline in overall rates over the last five decades. Dr Rose Fitzgerald explained how there are variations in the number of cases every year and noted this year the numbers had fallen to just eight cases. “We have been having about 15 or 16 cases of TB annually; we had more last year and less this year. TB takes a long time to develop, so you can get variations from year to year. “We are seeing drug-resistance for treating TB, which is a real problem. Sometimes people will get TB that is resistant to one drug, which can be easily enough managed. “Sometimes you can get TB that is resistant to a number of drugs and you can get one that is extremely drug resistant, which is …