BADGERS AND T.B.
Bovine Tuberculosis is a disease which, as well as affecting cattle, can also infect other animals including deer, badgers, polecats, ferrets, rats and domestic cats.
It is also possible for humans to contract TB but it is most unlikely because the main source of human infection was drinking untreated milk, a situation which has now been eliminated by the pasteurisation process for all milk.
People who work in close contact with cattle may be at risk but due to modern technology this is most unlikely and even though there is a worldwide increase in TB in humans it is an entirely different strain of the disease.
In 1971 TB was confirmed in badgers on a farm in Gloustershire. Further tests in 1973 identified the disease in thirty six badgers out of a total of one hundred and sixty five road casualties and the farming ministry, MAFF, concluded that badgers were responsible for the spread of TB in the cattle population in the southwest of England. As a result of this a culling strategy of varying degrees was applied to that area from 1975 onwards. This cost in excess of £15 million, but the incidence of TB in cattle in that region has continued to increase.
After the BSE crisis in cattle in the late 80's and the large scale movement of cattle in the 90's to replace the cattle that were culled, the TB problem spread to other areas of high cattle density. During this time the badger populations also increased in those areas.
To find out the extent to which badgers were involved in this spread of TB, if at all, the government authorised a three ring culling trial in various regions. This was known as the Krebs Trial after the man who recommended it, Sir John Krebs. This involved identifying three adjacent areas, each about half the size of the Isle of Wight, in which one of the following strategies would be applied.
( Area 1 ) Cull all badgers.
( Area 2 ) Cull all badgers that are close to any herd which suffers a TB outbreak.
( Area 3 ) No badgers to be culled even if a TB outbreak occurs. The trial was designed to use this `no action `area as a Control Area.
This trial presented a number of difficulties such as ensuring that ALL badgers were killed in the specified areas, ensuring that pro animal groups did not release badgers from the traps and ensuring that farmers and land owners did not take it upon themselves to kill badgers in the control areas. In addition the five year trial was seriously interrupted by a major foot and moth outbreak. Regular cattle testing was suspended and TB then spread into hitherto `clean` areas as whole herds were sold and moved to replace those destroyed to contain the foot and moth outbreak.
When the Krebs trial was eventually completed the evidence showed that the major source of TB transmission was cattle to cattle ( at least 90% ) and the advice to the government was that culling badgers would have no significant impact on the problem.
In 2008 the Secretary of State decided, despite strong opposition from the farming lobby, that he would accept the scientific advice and there would be no return to badger culling in England as part of the overall strategy to control TB with more effort being applied to improving the efficacy of cattle movement controls along with the early production of a suitable TB vaccine for badgers.
It is also possible for humans to contract TB but it is most unlikely because the main source of human infection was drinking untreated milk, a situation which has now been eliminated by the pasteurisation process for all milk.
People who work in close contact with cattle may be at risk but due to modern technology this is most unlikely and even though there is a worldwide increase in TB in humans it is an entirely different strain of the disease.
In 1971 TB was confirmed in badgers on a farm in Gloustershire. Further tests in 1973 identified the disease in thirty six badgers out of a total of one hundred and sixty five road casualties and the farming ministry, MAFF, concluded that badgers were responsible for the spread of TB in the cattle population in the southwest of England. As a result of this a culling strategy of varying degrees was applied to that area from 1975 onwards. This cost in excess of £15 million, but the incidence of TB in cattle in that region has continued to increase.
After the BSE crisis in cattle in the late 80's and the large scale movement of cattle in the 90's to replace the cattle that were culled, the TB problem spread to other areas of high cattle density. During this time the badger populations also increased in those areas.
To find out the extent to which badgers were involved in this spread of TB, if at all, the government authorised a three ring culling trial in various regions. This was known as the Krebs Trial after the man who recommended it, Sir John Krebs. This involved identifying three adjacent areas, each about half the size of the Isle of Wight, in which one of the following strategies would be applied.
( Area 1 ) Cull all badgers.
( Area 2 ) Cull all badgers that are close to any herd which suffers a TB outbreak.
( Area 3 ) No badgers to be culled even if a TB outbreak occurs. The trial was designed to use this `no action `area as a Control Area.
This trial presented a number of difficulties such as ensuring that ALL badgers were killed in the specified areas, ensuring that pro animal groups did not release badgers from the traps and ensuring that farmers and land owners did not take it upon themselves to kill badgers in the control areas. In addition the five year trial was seriously interrupted by a major foot and moth outbreak. Regular cattle testing was suspended and TB then spread into hitherto `clean` areas as whole herds were sold and moved to replace those destroyed to contain the foot and moth outbreak.
When the Krebs trial was eventually completed the evidence showed that the major source of TB transmission was cattle to cattle ( at least 90% ) and the advice to the government was that culling badgers would have no significant impact on the problem.
In 2008 the Secretary of State decided, despite strong opposition from the farming lobby, that he would accept the scientific advice and there would be no return to badger culling in England as part of the overall strategy to control TB with more effort being applied to improving the efficacy of cattle movement controls along with the early production of a suitable TB vaccine for badgers.
