Circovirus has been found in Irish (Northern) boars for many years and the only British export testing station
(in Northern Ireland) had to be closed because of it.
We know both PRRS and Circovirus are carried in semen, so If they have it now, it is surprising that it took so long to reach Kilkenny in the Republic.
Anyway, once again, semen or germplasm (that is also live animals and embryos) is the most likely route for disease transmission, between farms, between countries and between continents.
It's the obvious route and the one never publicly considered because it did not suit the financial interests of the veterinary establishment in Britain (or Ireland).
We seem a long way from those days when Maff-Defra's corrupt veterinarians were blaming ham sandwiches, ramblers, illegal immigrants, vegans, animal rights, foxes and seagulls for the multiple epidemics hitting Britain's pigs and other livestock. They went too far when they attempted to intimidate innocent law abiding smallholders to cover up state veterinary crime.
Anyway, the Irish police (gardaí) are now on the case. We wish the British authorities were as attentive to veterinary crime, especially the faking, bullying and reckless issuance of health certification.
After all, Parliament at Westminster has been misled and some of their witnesses have been systematically intimidated and defamed for years.
The full report in the Irish Examiner is here
Top boar stud launches probe into blue ear outbreak
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
The country’s largest producer of pig semen is investigating how blue ear disease has entered its boar stud, where even the air entering the facility is filtered.
Hermitage Genetics in Kilkenny, which recently announced it had been approved for the export of porcine semen to China, confirmed that three of its boars were found to have porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) last Friday.
The disease was detected in the animals at its quarantined artificial insemination station in Callan following testing. It is the first time blue ear has been found among Hermitage’s pigs. It was founded in 1958. ...
...Blue ear is common across pig herds around the world. It is estimated that half of all pig herds in Ireland would have been exposed to it at some point. However, given Hermitage’s bio-secure facilities and its line of business it is seeking to isolate how it may have entered its supply pyramid...
...Elsewhere, the department confirmed that it and the gardaí were investigating McCarren & Co pork producers in Cavan town for apparent irregularities in documents involved in the export of pork to Russia.
The department said the probe was "ongoing". It is understood the investigation is linked to documents relating to testing for salmonella at the plant, which processes 5,000 pigs per week to Russia.
