March 18, 2013

Statistics released by Defra show that the number of cows slaughtered in Great Britain in 2012 due to Bovine tuberculosis (TB) increased  by 10% from 2011.

Defra has said that the disease had the "potential to become a national crisis."

The statistics indicated that the total number of new TB incidents in Britain in 2012 was over 5,100 - more than 5.5% higher than the previous year - with 3,941 reported cases in England, 1,115 in Wales and 53 in Scotland.

However, in total these three nations reported more than 38,000 cows slaughtered - 28,284 in England, 9,307 in Wales and 419 in Scotland as animals believed to have come into contact with cows infected with TB also had to be put down.

"Bovine TB continues to spread at an unacceptable rate, leading to the slaughter of thousands of cattle and an on-going misery for our dairy farmers…and if left unchecked could cost the taxpayer £1 billion over the next 10 years," said Farming Minister, David Heath.

Meanwhile, other European countries are also experiencing resurgence in TB in livestock and wildlife, especially Austria, Germany and France. A cow in Fribourg, Switzerland, has also tested positive for the disease. It is the first time since 1960 that TB has appeared in Switzerland.