The number of cases of BSE for this year broke the 100 barrier with the announcement yesterday of 14 cases in October, one more than in the same month last year.
The total so far this year now stands at 104. This exceeds the annual total for any of the previous four years when increasing numbers of cases were reported.
The 14 cases for October compare with 13 for the same month last year. The new cases reported this month were found in Cork (4), Meath (1), Kilkenny (1), Donegal (1), Limerick (2), Westmeath (1), Tipperary (1), Cavan (2) and Waterford (1).
Last year there were 95 cases of the disease; 83 were reported in 1998; 80 in 1997; and 74 in 1996. The total number of cases recorded here since 1989 stands at 551.
The increase in Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy cases was signalled last weekend by the Minister for Agriculture and Food, Mr Walsh, who said he had been told to expect a slight upturn in numbers. This, the Minister said, was because of active testing for the disease in casualty and fallen animals, and better diagnosis.
He said he expected that the disease could be fully eradicated by 2002-2003. At that stage, he said, the older animals in the national herd of 7.5 million which might have been infected before the final controls on feed were put in place would have been identified.
A Department spokesman said last night that the view of the EU Scientific Committee predicting a fall-off in the number of cases involving animals under five years was being borne out in the October figures.
While it had also predicted a slight upturn in figures in Ireland in animals exposed to BSE infection agents, the October cases all involved animals aged four years or more. Of the 14 animals, there was one nine-year-old; four seven-year-olds; five six-year-olds; three five-year-olds; and only one four-year-old.
"The percentage of animals of five years and less which has been found with the disease has dropped from 52 per cent in 1998 to 41 per cent in 1999, and so far this year the percentage is 28 per cent," he said.
So far, the Government has spent over £50 million slaughtering every animal found in herds where BSE has been identified. These animals are slaughtered and their bodies rendered for storage.
The Department said last night that the Minister for Agriculture and Food was considering the British report on the handling of the BSE crisis published on Thursday.