On Friday, the Scottish government’s new bovine TB controls came into effect.

The new legislation includes extra measures to prevent the spread of bTB between species. Under the new rules, specified non-bovine animals – including alpaca, sheep and farmed deer - will now be subject to a regime of TB controls where incidents are disclosed.

Scotland gained official TB-free status in 2009, and the Government’s rural affairs secretary Richard Lochhead said, “We want [our status] to stay that way.”

He explained, “The cattle industry is already strictly regulated for TB but those legal powers in Scotland did not specifically cover controls of non-bovine species, except deer, where TB is strongly suspected or confirmed. The new measures coming into force today will address that gap and ensure Scotland is fully prepared to deal with any TB outbreaks that might arise.

“The controls will also give us the powers to provide keepers of these non-bovine species with statutory compensation for animals slaughtered as a result of TB.”

Although non-bovine animals will now be made notifiable, and keepers will have some testing responsibilities and be entitled to compensation payments, the Scottish Government said there are currently no plans to introduce a routine TB testing regime for non-bovine animals. More information on compensation is available here.

The new rules include the following measures:

• Notification of disease in alpaca, llama, vicuna, guanaco, deer, goats, sheep and pigs, and in the carcases of wild deer, is now required where they are affected or suspected of being affected with TB.
• Identification requirements for deer, alpaca, llama, vicuna, and guanacos. (Identification requirements for sheep, goats and pigs are already provided in existing identification and movement legislation).
• A veterinary enquiry, skin or blood testing and sampling of affected or suspected animals to be carried out as necessary in order to establish whether disease is present.
• Compulsory slaughter of any TB reactors identified - a notice of intended slaughter will be served to the keeper of the animal under section 32 of the Animal Health Act 1981.
• Where animals are compulsorily slaughtered, compensation will be paid to the keeper
• Owners who have their animals tested privately (e.g. pre or post movement testing) are required to report any positive or inconclusive results to the Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA) to ensure that the appropriate action can be taken to control any potential spread of disease.
• There is also a prohibition on vaccination or treatment of animals for TB, without written consent.

The British veterinary Association welcomed the new measures on Monday, with BVA Scottish Branch President Grace Webster commenting that the Association is “pleased to see that the Scottish Government has put legislative measures in place to guard against an incursion of the disease into Scotland in line with our advice.”

Grace said, “We know that the disease in South American Camelids has an extensive and aggressive pathology, and has zoonotic potential, so these new controls show the foresight of the Scottish Government in animal welfare and agriculture as well as human health.”