Throwing everything at TB
The Government’s current method of controlling cattle TB – surveillance, testing and slaughter – is not working effectively. That is the conclusion of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) select committee in its report Badgers and cattle TB, published on February 27th.
The Committee’s conclusion is that there is no simple solution that will control cattle TB. It says the Government must adopt a multi-faceted approach to tackling the disease, using all methods available including –
• more frequent cattle testing, with more frequent and targeted combined use of the tuberculin skin test and the gamma interferon test
• the evaluation of post-movement cattle testing
• greater communication with farmers on the benefits of biosecurity measures
• the deployment of badger and cattle vaccines when they become available in the future
• continued work on the epidemiology of the disease
Posted in EFRC, News and events
