Defra has released the latest statistics on Tuberculosis (TB) incidence in UK cattle for the first half of the year. The statistics show a 3.8 per cent rise in new incidents from January to June 2011 compared to 2010. image expired

The results see the light of day on the eve of Defra’s public consultation period over their bTB control strategy, which includes the controversial proposal of authorising trial badger culls in areas where bovine TB is endemic.

While many industry representatives believe that culling is the only option for reducing bovine TB quickly in cattle herds, Defra’s plans have met with widespread criticism. The Labour Party, RSPCA and even celebrity spokespeople including Queen guitarist and astrophysicist Brian May and Sir David Attenborough have objected to cull proposals.

The criticism mainly focuses on the untested aspects of Defra’s strategy, which critics say will be unlikely to yield the results Defra promise, with some, including Attenborough,  going so far as to say such measures could worsen the problem. Natural England, the government body responsible for issuing cull licences under the proposals, delivered a submission to the consultation which was critical of aspects of Defra’s strategy and Lord Krebs, who oversaw the cull tiral on which much of Defra’s evidence is based, has publicly objected to Defra’s assertions.

BTB incidence rates

Defra said the incidence rates will be subject to further revisions as more tests and their results are input. However, it said that, due to a decrease in the number of herds tested over the period, the figures equate to “a provisional overall increase in the TB incidence rate of 6.1 per cent.”

It said the provisional average incidence rate for herds where officially TB free status was withdrawn* was 3.9 per cent for January - June 2011, compared to 3.8 per cent for the same period in 2010.

* new herd incidents with officially TB free status withdrawn as a proportion of tests on officially TB free herds