Ireland achieves Aujeszky’s Disease-free status
According to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney the status of AD-free has followed the success of the National AD Control and Eradication Programme, launched in 2002. Results of the programme were recently submitted to all EU member states, which showed the country had reached its objective to eradicate AD.
The objective of the programme was to rid the country’s national pig herd from the disease and to obtain an official status of AD-free. Coveney explained the status will be of significant benefit to the entire Irish pig sector, as it will be a recognised standard of the national herd. The status will also allow the country to protect its access to export markets as well as allow it to pursue new export opportunities.
Now the announcement has been made, Irish herd owners will be allowed to export live pigs to other AD-free regions without the high costs incurred through compulsory isolation, herd surveillance and blood testing.
Coveney said: “I am delighted with the outcome of this programme. Following three national testing phases we are now at the stage where AD has been eliminated from Ireland. I would like to thank pig herd owners, farmers and their representative bodies and veterinary practitioners for the level of cooperation and commitment they have shown in reaching this point. I also want to recognise the enormous contribution of my own staff in coordinating and driving this successful outcome.”
The minister also explained that the future of agriculture in the country would be influenced to a very large extent by its ability to “control and eradicate” animal diseases. He also said the high priority placed on the AD eradication programme had now been rewarded.
Coveney added: “I would like to congratulate Northern Ireland which has also been successful in eradicating this disease — I know my officials cooperated closely with their colleagues in the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and I particularly welcome the fact that the whole island has progressed at the same time and is now one AD-free region”.
