Following the release of bovine TB statistics for England in January, the agricultural departments of great Britain have issued their combined statistics on bovine TB.

Released on Wednesday (13th February), according to arrangements approved by the UK Statistics Authority, the figures reveal a reduction in overall incidence of bTB.

The data show that the provisional November 2012 incidence rate was 4.9 percent, compared to 6.1 percent in November 2011. Although tightening of control measures in the wake of an evaluation by the European Commission is thought to be partly responsible for the reduction, Defra said "care needs to be taken not to read too much into short term figures, especially as this figure includes a number of unclassified incidents."

The number of new herd incidents between January and November 2012 was 4,761 compared to 4,469 for January to November 2011. The number of tests on officially TB free herds, however, was much higher at 67,918 during January to November 2012, compared to 56,525 during January to November 2011.

The number of cattle compulsorily slaughtered as reactors or direct contacts was 34,897 during January to November 2012, compared to 30,979 during January to November 2011.