Bovine tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease of cattle and one of the biggest challenges facing the cattle farming industry today, particularly in the west and south west of England. It is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis), which can also infect and cause TB in badgers, deer, goats, pigs, camelids (llamas and alcapas), dogs and cats, as well as many other mammals.

Latest news

• 16 May 2012: Bovine TB Statistics to the end of February 2012
• 4 May 2012: From today providers can apply to run badger control training courses. All operators must attend an approved training course and demonstrate competence.
• 2 May 2012: Changes to cattle measures from 1 July 2012 – changes will be introduced to compensation arrangements for TB reactor cattle and to pre-movement testing exemptions. See TB Information Notes and news release for details.
• 1 May 2012: Bovine disease compensation payable during May 2012
• 6 March 2012 - Five panel members appointed to join the chair, Professor Christopher Wathes, on the Independent Expert Panel on the Badger Culling Pilots
• 19 January 2012: Pilot areas confirmed (news release), Written Ministerial Statement (Parliament website, PDF)

The Government’s approach to tackling Bovine TB

The Government is committed to a comprehensive and balanced approach to tackling TB, with eradication as the long-term goal.

• Controlling the disease – the government’s approach

Cattle measures will remain central to the Government’s approach, which needs to be comprehensive, risk-based and staged.

Controlled culling of badgers confirmed as part of the package of measures to tackle bovine TB (14 December 2011). The approach will be piloted in two areas in 2012.

• News release
• Policy document: The Government’s policy on bovine TB and badger control in England
• Guidance to Natural England: Licences to kill or take badgers for the purpose of preventing the spread of bovine TB
• Government Bovine TB Eradication Programme for England sets out a comprehensive and balanced package of measures to tackle bovine TB
• Further information including responses to consultation and impact assessments

Key publications, documents and media

• Key conclusions from a meeting held between Professor Bob Watson and scientific experts on 4th April 2011 (PDF 30KB)
• Bovine TB in badgers – Improving farm biosecurity – Training video demonstrating practical on-farm biosecurity measures to reduce TB risks to cattle from wildlife.

Key facts and figures

• 5.4 Million – total number of TB tests on cattle in England in 2010.
• 25,000 – approximate number of cattle slaughtered for TB control in England in 2010.
• 3,622 – number of new TB incidents in 2010. This is a 7.5% increase on 2009
  (herds where at least one animal tests positive for bovine TB, when the herd had previously been TB free).
• 10.8% of cattle herds in England were under cattle movement restrictions at some point in 2010 due to a TB incident.
• 22.7% of cattle herds in the South-West were under cattle movement restrictions at some point in 2010.
• £500 million – the amount it has cost the taxpayer to control the disease in England in the last 10 years.
• £1 billion –  estimated cost of TB control in England over the next decade without taking further action.
• £30,000 – the average cost of a TB breakdown on a farm, of which around £10,000 falls to the farmer.

Further information – see Bovine TB statistics