Farmers in the Shannonside Region are being urged to report any birth defects in calves and lambs to their vet.
According to the Department of Agriculture, Regional Veterinary Laboratories have detected an increase in Schmallenburg Virus.
The condition is a midge born virus that can result in the birth of deformed offspring and a difficult lambing/calving process.
The Department is asking farmers to report any incidents of birth defects to their vet, to be passed on to the nearest RVL for investigation.
While the Schmallenburg virus is a low impact condition, experts are also monitoring for the more dangerous Bluetongue virus, which also causes birth deformities in livestock.
Dr. Denise Murphy is a Veterinary Research Officer based in Athlone Regional Veterinary Laboratory, she's asking farmers to be their eyes and ears across the country:
