The Silent Killer of the Belfast Hills
Preventing death is as simple as cleaning up after your dog to prevent the spread of this fatal disease.
Neosporosis is an insidious disease which infects cattle, dogs and foxes that is spreading across the Belfast Hills. The disease causes illness in adult dogs and death in young pups with symptoms including difficulty breathing, paralysis and muscle atrophy. It has been sending shockwaves through the rural communities of the Belfast Hills as it causes cows to miscarry. This is not just a one-off incident either; cows remain infected for life and will never breed again. This spells disaster for our upland herds and for the farmers relying on these herds for their livelihood.
What Can You Do?
The disease is spread through dog waste that hasn’t been bagged and binned on sites. Reducing the risk of transmission is simple: clean up after your dog. While it might be tempting to “let nature take its course” and leave dog waste to decompose in the open, this is one of the main ways in which this disease spreads. Dog faeces carrying the infection can seep into the grass. This in turn enters the food chain of livestock thus causing the disease to spread.
Belfast Hills Partnership Manager Dr Lizzy Pinkerton had this to say:
“It’s easy to shrug and say “What harm am I doing?” but the reality is that dog waste is incredibly dangerous, not just to livestock but also to other dogs, and indeed people, through the spread of various diseases. We encourage everyone walking their dogs in the Hills to bring along poo bags and make sure they bin their waste when leaving.”
We would also like to encourage people to stick to the paths and keep their dog on a lead when out walking. This means that you can keep an eye on what your dog is up to and where they are at all times.
Livestock and Neosporosis
Craig Somerville, National Trust Countryside Manager, highlights how Neosporosis is a particularly important issue forDivis & the Black Mountain:
“In recent years livestock graziers on National Trust land have increasingly raised concerns about the parasite Neospora, infecting their cattle herds, with at least one tenant grazier reporting the disease as being confirmed within their herd.
Neosporosis causes abortions in cattle and can also have a damaging effect on dogs. The disease has been linked to places where dogs and cattle interact and has been associated with dog fouling. In order to help control the disease, it is important that dog owners clean up after their dog and keep their pets on a lead and away from livestock”.
Neospora is not just an issue for Divis and the Black Mountain. Livestock graze right across the Belfast Hills so the next time you go walking, please keep Neospora in mind. Play your part by cleaning up after your dog and keeping it on a lead. You could potentially be saving a life.