Cattle-to-cattle outbreak in Durham gets to heart of bTB problem
An outbreak of bovine TB (bTB) in County Durham, previously TB free, is being blamed on diseased cattle being moved from the south west.
Reported in the Northern Echo, farmers are quoted as being “unhappy that cattle from infected with TB were brought here from a high-risk area”. The Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency, which works with Defra, said: “It is believed that the infection was inadvertently carried in cattle bought from a high risk area of the country.”
Dominic Dyer, Policy Advisor for wildlife charity Care for the Wild International, said: “It’s no good the Government and the National Farmers Union blaming badgers for the spread of bovine TB, when it’s clear that cattle are a major factor in the spread of the disease.
“The new outbreak of bovine TB in Country Durham was a disaster waiting to happen. With over 13 million cattle movements a year and poor biosecurity, TB testing systems and cattle control movements, it’s very likely this outbreak was due to infected cattle being moved from high risk areas.
“Rather than extending the disastrous badger cull pilots which have no scientific, economic or animal welfare justification and increase the risk of perturbation, Owen Paterson should bring an immediate stop to killing badgers and divert DEFRA’s expertise and resources into tightening biosecurity and cattle movement controls.”
Dominic Dyer also raised concerns that this outbreak would somehow be used to ‘justify’ the badger culls.
“To use this outbreak as further justification for a badger cull would be grossly misleading. The farmers in County Durham aren’t blaming badgers, they are blaming other farmers. Only a combination of better TB testing, tighter cattle movement controls and badger and cattle vaccination will reduce the spread of bovine TB.”
Care for the Wild is a wildlife charity based in Horsham, Sussex. To find out more, see www.careforthewild.com/badger.
3 Responses to Cattle-to-cattle outbreak in Durham gets to heart of bTB problem