Bovine Tuberculosis is a bacterial 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 contact T B. But  it is most unlikely because the main source of infection is by drinking  untreated milk from cattle, which has now been eliminated due to the pasteurisation of milk process of all milk.

People who work in close contact with animals and become infected such as herdsmen, might be at risk. But the worldwide increase of TB, in humans is an entirely different strain of the disease.

For the past twenty years the main response of the Ministry of Agriculture to the problems of TB. In dairy herds,  has been to cull any badgers found in the area, and it was not unexpected that some were found to be caring the TB. Virus, but the big question, which still remains unanswered, was were the badgers passing the disease to the cattle or vice versa.

The automatic culling policy has now been abandoned, but there is currently a five year experimental program in certain areas whereby badgers are culled and tested for T. B. With the intention of determining whether they are a significant source of infection in cattle and if so, to decide what measures can be taken to resolve the situation.

For a reason as yet unexplained, Bovine T. B. Seems to thrive in certain parts of the country, particularly in the South - West and in South Wales. In Shropshire there have been occasional outbreaks but thankfully they remain low in numbers and the county is regarded by the Ministry of Agriculture as a low risk area.

T. B. Is a very complex disease with many strains and is still the subject of intense research.

If you would like to find out more detailed information on the subject please go to our Links page and click on the links to DEFRA or N.F.B.G.