Salmonella outbreak on Cavan and Monaghan farms

The Department of Agriculture has said it is investigating a number of salmonella infections on several broiler farms around the country, several of which are believed to be in the Cavan/Monaghan area, although local IFA representatives were unaware of the impacted sites.

Salmonella is a bacteria that is considered a risk to public health, and so the discovery of infection in poultry flocks is being treated seriously by authorities.

Chairperson of Cavan IFA Maurice Brady said that the IFA is concerned about the outbreak and is monitoring it closely.

He said " We are aware of the recent outbreak of salmonella on poultry farms and we are looking into it. We'll continue to work with all the relevant stakeholders to find the source of the infection. As a county with a large poultry farming population, this disease is of particular concern. We offer all possible support to those who have been affected by the outbreak."

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has said that they are aware of the outbreak and are taking steps to prevent its spread.

They said "the FSAI has been notified by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine about an investigation it is carrying out into incidences of Salmonella infection in a number of broiler flocks. The FSAI is liaising with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in its investigation. To date, there are no human cases of illness linked to this investigation into the broiler flocks. This on-farm incident has arisen following the food recall of Western Brand undertaken last week. The FSAI has been notified by the Department of Agriculture that affected flocks will be culled and will not enter the food chain. The FSAI will continue to liaise with the Department of Agriculture with its ongoing investigation."

According to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), symptoms usually appear 12-36 hours after the ingestion of contaminated food. Symptoms include acute enterocolitis with sudden onset of headache, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and fever. Dehydration may occur particularly among vulnerable populations, e.g. infants, the immuno-compromised and the elderly.