Northern Ireland is in the containment phase and hopes the disease doesn’t spread quickly across the country
Department officials in Northern Ireland say no country affected by the disease has managed to eradicate it.
Bluetongue may already be present in the Republic of Ireland, but has not yet been detected, DAERA Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer David Kyle has said.
His comments come as further suspected bluetongue cases have been identified on a fourth farm in Co Down. Northern Ireland’s bluetongue-free status was suspended at the end of November following the detection of BTV-3 through surveillance testing in factories.
