Let's talk TB - and get some basic facts on record.
Cattle TB is a chronic, infectious, debilitating disease caused by Mycobacterium bovis. It is transmissible to other mammals and to humans. It is one of the most serious disease problems in the Welsh cattle herd, although its distribution and incidence varies across the country - North Wales is currently relatively free of TB while South West Wales has one of the highest TB incidence in the UK. Within Europe, the UK and Eire top the TB league table.
The current policy of surveillance involves regular testing of cattle and removal of reactors (in Wales last year this amounted to 7,905 cattle). Herds with TB breakdowns are under cattle movement restrictions until they achieve two clear tests. The TB disease picture is getting worse year on year, and this is unsustainable for all concerned.
You will have seen from the Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones' blog that work is underway to develop a TB eradication plan in Wales and news of this will follow soon. In the meantime, it is worth highlighting the key components of any disease eradication plan which are:
** Keeping infection out of clean areas
** Identifying infection early and accurately
** Containing infection - stopping further spread
** Eliminating all sources of infection
This is the approach that should be taken with all infectious diseases e.g. mastitis, E coli scours, sheep scab, Foot and Mouth Disease.
The nature of the infection may differ, and the principles applied have to be tailored to meet specific needs, but the overall approach is exactly the same. It is now time to recognise TB as an infectious disease and to treat it as one.
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4 Responses to "TB Talk"
Dr. Glossop has really said nothing about the problem. Does she suggest protected badgers should be slaughtered even though higher authorities than her have stated quite clearly that badgers are NOT the problem ? This thing needs to be discussed sensibly by people who know what they are talking about. Then and only then will this farce be sorted out.
As a citizen of the UK I was extremely disappointed to hear that the Welsh Assembly will not follow the lead of Hilary Benn in England and cancel plans for the pilot ‘cull’ of badgers in Wales. Especially as England has now decided against a badger 'cull', and is trialling inoculations in the summer. The 'cull' goes against the advice of the largest ever study into the spread of bovine TB, which found that ‘culling’ badgers would have no meaningful impact on the spread of the disease – and would actually make it worse. The real culprits are bad farming practices and the movement of millions of cattle around the UK each year. Despite being promoted as a ‘short term fix’, badgers could be wiped out in certain parts of Wales if a large scale 'cull' were to go ahead, and you have admitted that even in 2018 “the end game will not necessarily be in sight” for bovine TB. This ‘cull’ could last into the 2030s. It will achieve nothing, only needlessly cost the lives of thousands of wild animals and tarnish the reputation of Wales.
Braf iawn yw gweld y wefan ar ei newydd wedd, ac mae ôl gwaith caled arni yn amlwg iawn. Yn sicr cytunaf bod angen gwneud rhywbeth yn gyflym iawn i waredu’r diciâu allan o’m buchesi, cyn iddi fynd allan o bob rheolaeth. Ceir blynyddoedd o fridio tu ôl i rai o’m gwartheg gorau, a byddai lladd rhain yn golled aruthrol i fridwyr. Rhaid diogelu ein gwartheg!! Y cwestiwn hoffwn ni ofyn yw: os nad yw ein gwartheg â TB yn cael byw, pam bod y moch daear sydd â TB yn cael byw?
I am so excited to read the CVO for Wales' thoughts on dealing with TB, good luck to you we are all behind you. I think this is a once in a life time chance to get rid of TB in Wales once an for all. A comprehensive approach is definitely the way to go. Good Luck.