An outbreak of bluetongue has been detected in County Wexford, the Minister for Agriculture has said. On Saturday, Martin Heydon confirmed that the disease which affects livestock including cattle and sheep as well as goats, deer and llamas had been found in a herd. “I want to emphasise that bluetongue cannot infect people and does not pose any food safety or human health issue. The minister said the virus is unlikely to spread widely at the moment, because of low temperatures. In a statement, the Irish Farmers’ Association said the detection of bluetongue in Wexford is “very disappointing”.
