(Google "Buffalo Field Campaign")
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A ProMED-mail post
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
Date: Wed 27 Apr 2011
Source: Farmers Weekly Interactive [edited]
Officials mystified by Cumbria TB case
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Cumbria is facing its 1st large-scale outbreak of bovine tuberculosis
(TB) on a dairy farm near Penrith where 64 animals have been
slaughtered. The outbreak has already triggered calls for a
county-wide TB test of all dairy cows to be considered.
The herd, which is in a 4-year testing programme, had been tested
"clear" 18 months ago, according to the Animal Health and Veterinary
Laboratories Agency. But as post-mortem examinations were being
carried out on the slaughtered cattle this week, vets expressed
concern over the length of time the disease may have been present on
the farm.
Veterinary investigations will concentrate on the source of the
outbreak which has occurred on a farm running a "closed" herd and
where there are reported to have been no movements of cattle on or off
the holding and no indication that wildlife in the area has become
infected.
Cumbria has been virtually free of bovine TB apart from a "pocket" of
problems in a small area in the south-west corner of the county --
more than 50 miles from the current outbreak.
DEFRA vets said it would be 3 weeks before the full test results on
the slaughtered cattle were available. Contiguous testing of cattle on
neighbouring farms was already under way.
"The herd has been placed under movement restrictions, and a number
of animals have been removed for slaughter after reacting to the skin
test. Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency staff are
working to determine the source of the infection and TB testing of
neighbouring holdings is under way," said the official DEFRA
statement.
Leading dairy cattle auctioneer Edward Brown of Harrison and
Hetherington, said the outbreak was "deeply worrying" for Cumbria's
dairy farmers. "Few cattle come into the county and when dairy farmers
do buy cattle they are extremely cautious about where they come
from."
Cumbria milk producer Russell Bowman, chairman of the North West
dairy board, said it was important that vets located the source of the
outbreak as quickly as possible. "We're told it's a closed herd so
that makes the situation even more worrying. We certainly don't want
to discover that we've got TB in our wildlife here in Cumbria. At this
stage we must hope animal health staff can contain the outbreak and
can discover how the farm became infected," said Mr Bowman of
Armathwaite, near Carlisle.
[Byline: Jeremy Hunt]
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Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
[According to a later (28 Apr 2011] BBC news bulletin, the disease
was found on a farm near Penrith, which has not been identified.
The Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) said it
did not know the source but the results of tests should be known next
week.
It said bovine TB was relatively rare in Cumbria and it was working
to ensure that remained the case. - Mod.AS
The interactive HealthMap/ProMED map for Cumbria is available at:
[see also:
Bovine tuberculosis - UK: (Wales) badger control 20110328.0969
2010
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Bovine tuberculosis - UK (04): new control program 20100921.3396
2002
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Tuberculosis, cattle - UK 20020221.3599
2001
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Foot & mouth disease - UK (25) 20010318.0548]
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