Samples from two lambs which were slaughtered yesterday afternoon in a local authority abattoir in Bray, Co Wicklow, will be sent to Pirbright International laboratories in Britain later today for foot-and-mouth analysis.
The Department of Agriculture said last night that the lambs had been picked out in a post-mortem inspection at the plant, which was immediately sealed off and closed pending the outcome of the investigation. A check of their farm of origin at Avoca, Co Wicklow, did not reveal any suspicious animals.
Veterinary inspectors from the Department had carried out further investigations at the farm where the lambs were raised and it was restricted.
A Department spokesman said the action taken so far had been precautionary and it was too early to say if this was a "hot" or "cold" suspect case. Preliminary results should be known tomorrow.
In further moves yesterday, a sheep farm near Enfield, Co Meath, was placed under restriction and blood samples taken from the animals because of links between it and another Co Meath farm where animals were slaughtered a fortnight ago.
The samples are being examined for antibodies to the foot-and-mouth virus at the Abbots town laboratory, Co Dublin. No animals have been slaughtered. It is understood there are 120 sheep on the farm.
Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture's Control Inquiry Team, is carrying out another investigation into the possible smuggling of cattle from Northern Ireland, which are believed to have been brought to Co Tipperary. A farm near Thurles has been sealed off as officials are continuing investigations into the origin of up to 14 young cattle which may have been brought in from the North.
A Department spokesman said because the animals had been on the farm for some time before the foot-and-mouth outbreak, the spread of the disease was not an issue. He said the farmer was being asked to provide information on the source of the animals which were tagged with his own identification numbers but not with official tags.
The Department, he said, was currently considering the slaughter of the suspect animals but not the rest of the cattle on the farm.
In the past month, young, untagged animals, which may have been smuggled in from the North, have been found in two locations in Co Tipperary. Some 13 young animals were found in the Glen of Aherlow and 13 animals were found dead in a wood.
Local sources say that animals smuggled in from the North are being abandoned because of the level of inspection on farms.
As the farm organisations continue to increase pressure on the Department to ease restrictions on farming activity, the Department announced the protocol for the resumption of the Artificial Insemination Service (AI).
AI personnel, who have undergone training and have been certified as such, will be allowed to work from April 19th under very strict conditions and only if they hold a Bovine Semen Licence in an area specified by the Department.