Strategy for achieving officially bovine tuberculosis free status for England
Defra is consulting on a draft strategy to achieve bovine tuberculosis-free status for England within the next 25 years.
The draft strategy has been developed by the Animal Health and Welfare Board for England (AHWBE) and the Bovine Tuberculosis Eradication Advisory Group for England (TBEAG). It draws extensively on international examples of successful approaches to tackling bovine tuberculosis.
Under the strategy we would build on the existing controls to keep the ‘Low Risk Area of England’ free of the disease, to stop the disease spreading outside the edge of the ‘High Risk Area’, and to progressively eliminate the disease from the ‘High Risk Area’.
Under the proposed strategy we would focus on the development of new tools such as vaccines for badgers and cattle, and new diagnostic tests that could offer new ways of tackling the disease. The draft strategy also considers how delivering its aim would be managed and funded. It highlights the potential benefits of a new government-industry partnership approach to tackling bovine tuberculosis.