THE Department of Agriculture has reported three new cases of BSE in herds in Westmeath, Meath and Kilkenny, writes Lorna Siggins.
This brings the number of reported cases this year to 65, and to a total of 180 since 1989. Last week the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Yates, blamed, this year's BSE upsurge on the continued use of banned meat and bone meal.
The three latest cases are all five year old cows - one in a dairy herd of 217 animals in Co Westmeath; one in a suckler herd of 120 animals in Co Meath; and another in a 90 cow dairy herd in Co Kilkenny. As is normal practice, the animals have been destroyed and the full herd will be slaughtered once agreement is reached on a compensation price. All three cases are first time occurrences in the respective herds, the Department said.
In announcing five cases last week, the Department confirmed its first multiple herd infection in a herd in Co Limerick.