Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 29 Mar 2000

Vol. 517 No. 1

Written Answers. - Bovine Diseases.

Alan Shatter

Question:

123 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the percentage of cows in each of the past five years diagnosed as suffering from mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis MAP; if he has satisfied himself that sterilisation procedures are sufficient to properly pasteurise milk and destroy MAP; and the investigations or research, if any, undertaken by his Department in this regard. [9237/00]

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (Mr. Walsh)

Paratuberculosis, otherwise known as Johne's disease in cattle, is caused by mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis and is a notifiable disease under the Johne's Disease Order, 1955. This order also provides for the slaughter of an animal affected with or suspected of being affected with Johne's disease and for the prohibition of movement of animals from land or premises where the disease exists.

The following table sets out the number of bovine animals dealt with under the order as a percentage of the total number of animals in the national herd in each of the years listed:

Year	%
1995	.002
1996	.001
1997	.001
1998	.0001
1999	.0002

I understand that the mycobacterium has never been cultured from commercially pasteurised milk even though the DNA of the organism has occasionally been detected in the UK, and that this failure to culture could indicate that commercial pasteurisation of milk kills the bacterium. A study was carried out in 1999 by the veterinary research laboratory of my Department to determine whether MAP bacteria were present in samples of both pasteurised and unpasteurised milk. All the samples tested negative for MAP.

A recent report from the Food Safety Authority of Ireland does not recommend any alteration to the current normal pasteurisation methods. However, there is a need to keep the results of international research under review.