Cattle Bovine Tuberculosis Welfare and Control

Bovine tuberculosis causes chronic progressive disease in cattle and requires testing and culling programs that create welfare harms while controlling a serious zoonotic disease.

Key Facts

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is caused by Mycobacterium bovis, which can infect humans and many wildlife species
The UK has one of the highest bTB burdens in Europe despite decades of control programs
Badgers are a wildlife reservoir that contributes to ongoing farm-to-farm and wildlife-to-farm transmission in some regions
Tuberculin skin testing is the primary detection method with interferon-gamma testing used as supplementary test
Reactor cattle must be slaughtered - testing and culling programs cause significant welfare and economic harm
Infected cattle typically show no clinical signs until advanced disease when weight loss and respiratory signs appear
Badger vaccination programs in the UK are an alternative to culling to reduce wildlife reservoir contribution

Welfare Considerations

bTB creates welfare harms in multiple directions. Cattle in advanced bTB develop progressive pulmonary disease causing chronic discomfort, weight loss, and respiratory difficulty. The testing and culling program causes welfare harm through repeated handling stress from tuberculin testing and the traumatic slaughter of reactor cattle, many of which are healthy-appearing. The loss of entire herds to bTB restrictions causes economic distress that can affect farm management and indirectly harm remaining animals. The control program is justified by the serious zoonotic risk but the welfare costs are real and ongoing.

What You Can Do

Support evidence-based bTB control policies that include both cattle testing and wildlife reservoir management
Implement biosecurity measures that reduce badger-cattle contact on farms in high-risk areas
Maintain meticulous records to support efficient testing programs and rapid reactor identification
Advocate for investment in bTB vaccination research for both cattle and wildlife
Support wildlife-sensitive reservoir management approaches including badger vaccination programs
Minimize cattle handling stress during tuberculin testing through low-stress handling facilities and techniques