October 30, 2019

 

Badger culling in UK results in mixed outcomes for cattle tuberculosis

 

Cattle tuberculosis (TB) cases were found to have dropped in two areas, but cattle TB cases have risen in another area, reported BBC.

 

According to journal Scientific Reports, badger culling zones Gloucestershire and Somerset saw reduced TB cases of 66% and 36% respectively between 2013 to 2017. Dorset reported a 10% rise in cases between 2015-2017, but researchers said 10% is not statistically important.

 

Professor Christl Donnelly from Oxford University and Imperial College London said the findings have shown encouraging results from badger culling. However, as the effects of culling are mixed in different areas, these areas will be continuously monitored to ascertain results in the future.

 

She noted it was significant that two areas studied for more than four years have seen reduced TB cases, but it does definitively prove the effects of badger culling on a certain area.

 

Professor Rosie Woodroffe of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) said the mixed results could be because of the natural yearly discrepancy of TB rates in cattle, as the study was carried out in three areas for a low number of years. She was not involved in the study.

 

She added that Gloucestershire has reported an increase in cattle TB cases this year, which wasn't included in the study.

 

Iain McGill, coordinator for a group of vets, researchers and campaign groups against badger culling, said the study was outdated. He said Gloucestershire reported a 130% increase in cattle TB cases in 2018.

 

Professor Woodroffe and Professor Donnelly were part of the Randomised Badger Control Trial (RBCT), which tested the success of badger culling between 1998 to 2006. RBCT found that culling TB-infected badgers only resulted in other animals moving into areas where badgers were culled as there is more food supply. In turn, these animals are infected by TB and spread the infection away from the culling area.

 

Lord Krebs of Oxford University, designer of RBCT said this observation warned that if badger culls were not carried out correctly, it risks a bigger spread of TB in cattle.

He said RBCT found that TB cattle infections from badgers only amounted to 6% of cases, adding that scientific evidence pointed to cattle-to-cattle TB transmissions.

 

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said they are looking at various methods to abolish TB by 2038. These methods include restricting cattle movements, licensed badger culling, frequent testing and increased vaccinations.

 

-    BBC