Two new cases of bluetongue disease have been confirmed in a herd in Northern Ireland, with a further 44 suspected cases under investigation, Minister Andrew Muir MLA has said.

Speaking about the developments, Ireland’s Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, described the news as “most unfortunate” and warned that the disease could pose a wider threat if it becomes established.

“Farmers in the area and across the island will be rightly concerned,” he said. “If bluetongue spreads, it could reach other areas next spring and summer.”

Minister Heydon said his department had been carrying out intensive surveillance across the country for two years and that these measures would be stepped up in response to the new cases. “If bluetongue arrives here, my priority is to detect it quickly and eradicate it if possible to protect Irish livestock and farmers from losses caused by the disease,” he said.

He stressed that bluetongue does not affect food safety or human health but can have serious financial and emotional impacts on farmers whose animals are infected. He also noted that because the disease is spread by midges, the risk of transmission is lower during winter and early spring.

Enhanced surveillance measures include on-farm blood testing of cattle and sheep, testing of animals submitted to regional laboratories, sampling of routinely slaughtered cattle at meat plants and encouraging farmers and veterinarians to report any suspected cases.

Further information is available on the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine website.