Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 July 2018
417. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to an increase in incidents of mycoplasma in the cattle herd recently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29260/18]
View answerMycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) infection is most commonly associated with respiratory disease and arthritis in juvenile cattle and feedlot beef cattle and with mastitis in dairy cows.
My Department’s Veterinary Laboratories have been involved in investigating a number of disease incidents in recent years - in which adult dairy cows have developed arthritis and this has been attributed to M. bovis infection.
The Laboratories will continue to work closely with herd-owners and attending veterinary practitioners in investigating affected herds to try and gain a better understanding of this disease process and to advise the farming community and veterinary practitioners, accordingly.
In addition, my Department is also planning to undertake a study to establish the prevalence of M. bovis infection in the national herd.
