The Provision of Gamma-Interferon Sample Testing for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM)

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is responsible for the Irish bovine tuberculosis (TB) eradication programme, which seeks to eradicate infection with Mycobacterium bovis from the Irish cattle population. Detection of TB-infected cattle by carrying out a gamma interferon test on blood samples to detect an immune response to Mycobacterium bovis is an important part of the programme. The test is approved under EU and Irish legislation as a statutory test, and its use is approved by the Irish National Reference Laboratory (NRL) for Bovine TB. DAFM is seeking tenders for the provision of additional gamma interferon TB testing services in two regions.