Four new cases of BSE were confirmed during the week, the Department of Agriculture said yesterday.
This has brought the February 2000 total to nine, one less than for the entire month of February last year. The new cases continue a trend of an increasing number of BSE-infected animals being discovered in the national herd.
The number of cases has increased since August last year. In the period since then the monthly totals have exceeded previous levels of reported cases.
August 2000 saw 11 cases, the highest August total on record, and this was also true of September, which was three cases up on previous September levels. October was one case up on previous totals, and the November total of 25 was more than three times up on the previous year and more than double the 1998 total.
The December total of 19 was three cases more than the highest previous recorded December total of 16. The January 2001 total of 19 was five up on the previous January high of 14.
The new cases were found in herds in Cos Monaghan, Kerry, Meath and Cavan and were in older cows which, the Department said, was a continuing and welcome development.
The total number of cases found so far this year is 28. The total recorded in the Republic since 1989 stands at 624, including 16 cohort cases, animals found in herds in follow-up investigations where a case of BSE had been identified.
Since January 10th 80,277 animals have been slaughtered and destroyed and 46,249 animals over 30 months of age have been slaughtered and tested for BSE. All the tests have been negative.