Four additional positive cohort animals have been detected. Two additional positive cohort animals have been detected. Fifteen of the total animals confirmed were imported animals. B.S.E. Surveillance Programme has been in operation since July 2000. The total number of cattle in Ireland is 7,569,735 which are contained in 138,163 herds.
Beef production is grass based, with cattle grazing pasture for most of the year.
A total of 1.5m cattle are slaughtered each year, with nine out of every ten carcases destined for export. Since 1st January 2001, the feeding of meat and bone meal has been banned for all farm animals intended for human consumption. A special information campaign was organised for veterinary practitioners, with the use of video material. All suspect animals are visited by both a veterinary inspector from the local District Veterinary Office, and a veterinary research officer from the Veterinary Research Laboratory. The suspect animal is euthanased, a sample of the brain tissue is sent for testing, the entire carcase of BSE suspect animals are frozen and retained by this Department, pending their ultimate destruction.