Bovine TB Blog

Badger tuberculosis - in pictures

2013-05-15T00:48:05Z

This simple but important video illustrates the ravages of badger tuberculosis on badgers. It provides a graphic example of how these poor animals become such a weapon of mass destruction to many other mammals when they are so infected. Read More......(read more)

The 'regional accents' of m.bovis.

2013-04-28T12:24:00Z

It is somewhat unusual to find us agreeing with Defra on anything at all to do with ' bovine ' badger Tuberculosis. In fact we have been heard to say on more than one occasion, that badgers are not the problem, but Defra's attitude to the Read More......(read more)

Do the maths.

2013-04-27T13:15:00Z

Various of the advisory bodies on 'bovine' tuberculosis have, over the years, proposed a jointly funded insurance scheme for reactor cattle and possibly consequential losses associated with herd restrictions. This works well with other diseases Read More......(read more)

They don't like it up 'em...

2013-04-25T12:02:04Z

During the last year or so, some Welsh badgers have had the benefit - or not - of a very expensive BCG jab. Ignoring the protocol adopted by the FERA 2010 'trial', which pre-screened its badgers for existing evidence of exposure to disease - and Read More......(read more)

Words fail us...

2013-04-21T08:52:05Z

There seems to be a confusion about the colloquial title of the zoonotic bacteria known as 'Bovine' Tuberculosis in that it affects cattle - otherwise why would it be called 'bovine', Duh - but affects nothing else. Whenever there is a Read More......(read more)

A catch up ....

2013-04-14T12:56:00Z

Apologies from blogger HQ - blogging light this week. This posting will be a catch upon some of our recent postings. First an update on Dianne Summer's progress, after her recent scans and biopsies. She tells us that unfortunately the scans revealed Read More......(read more)

Tuberculosis - an anniversary.

2013-03-28T14:12:03Z

Last year we had the sad task of explaining to readers that alpaca owner, Dianne Summers had herself, contracted tuberculosis. The type was confirmed as m.bovis and the spoligotype found to be the same as Dianne's alpacas which were euthanized in Read More......(read more)

Repeat, repeat and repeat.

2013-03-27T12:52:05Z

We have spoken of a 'beneficial crisis' created by the zoonosis known as 'bovine tuberculosis' many times. And yet again, this feeding trough has proved lucrative for members of academia. This time the RVC (Royal Veterinary College) with Read More......(read more)

A success story - but not for Team GB

2013-03-23T14:18:01Z

We've mentioned the situation in other parts of the world with bTB eradication on many occasions, but the closest to home - and arguably one of the most successful eradication process - has been in the Republic of Ireland. Farmers Guardian has the Read More......(read more)

TB free Germany and Switzerland ...

2013-03-14T13:11:05Z

,... are no more, thanks to wildlife reservoirs which have fed the disease back up into cattle herds which have been TB free ( in the case of Switzerland) for around 50 years. We'll post the direct links to the reports in their respective countries Read More......(read more)

A Correction is needed.

2013-03-13T13:29:04Z

Not from us, but one is most certainly due from the Badger Trust and 'Dr.' Brian May's Team Badger. . We pointed out in January, the outrageous spin which both groups had put on a totally incomparable set of figures. If you remember, they Read More......(read more)

All gone......

2013-03-09T12:29:04Z

This week the front page of the Farmers Guardian carries the heart wrenching story of one couples' loss of their lifetime's work. Their whole dairy herd. These are some of the 97 dairy cattle, pictured the day before they were slaughtered. Most Read More......(read more)

Loophole or opportunity?

2013-03-05T09:50:04Z

We have mentioned several times, the most irritating bloody stupid anomaly, where cattle, sheep, deer, alpacas and pigs can be screwed to the floor with movement restrictions, and yet by a quirk of legislation, badgers may be moved around the country Read More......(read more)

Vaccines - not new.

2013-02-18T09:12:04Z

There has been much twittering about vaccines and TB recently, as if it were something quite new. After a consultation which ended in January, the EFRA committee are discussing it next week. On February 26th they will interview the European Commission Read More......(read more)

Sort it out...

2013-02-03T11:22:03Z

..... or the cash will dry up. This was the blunt message from Tonio Borg, of the European Commission to Secretary of State, Owen Paterson, MP in a letter published this week. As well as detailing more clamp downs on holdings under restriction, and vaccination Read More......(read more)

Las Vegas Anyone?

2013-01-29T10:32:00Z

Anyone feel like a bet? A roll of the dice? We kid you not. Universities in Kent, Bangor and Kingston rolled a couple of dice after asking farmers if they'd killed any badgers illegally. Farmers Guardian reports that University researchers spoke to Read More......(read more)

One small step for Owen ...

2013-01-28T11:32:02Z

For a couple of years now, we have been banging on about the way AHVLA presented their 'other species' bTB statistics. These tables consisted of the often single, confirming microbial sample only. They did not include any previous or subsequent Read More......(read more)

Go compare - a Badger Trust Recipe

2013-01-13T00:14:00Z

In our posting below we queried how on earth the Badger Trust could have come up with such amazing figures on the b. Tuberculosis statistics for cattle breakdowns and slaughter numbers. If you remember, their press release chirped a 39 per cent drop from Read More......(read more)

Froth or Fraud ?

2013-01-05T10:23:04Z

From time to time the Badger Trust get over excited and publish press releases which are at best misleading and at worst downright lies very misleading. We have mentioned this many times before, some of the more memorable being the incidence of TB on Read More......(read more)

More cattle measures - that'll do it...

2012-12-31T09:51:00Z

On January 1st 2013, more cattle measures will be heaped onto GB's long suffering cattle farmers. We described them in October, and in this article, Farmers Guardian reported the bones of what was to come. They expanded a little more last week. The Read More......(read more)

That magic roundabout again.

2012-12-30T11:30:00Z

We have mentioned this roundabout several times. bTB has become a beneficial crisis, employing many on its tortuous and mainly circular route. But we've been here too long. A 'new' paper published by Exeter University's Nicola Weber and Read More......(read more)

Happy Christmas...

2012-12-21T13:49:05Z

Last year, after finding sacks of badger feed in the aisles of some pet stores, we wished readers a very happy Brocklemas . Not that this gave cattle farmers under TB restriction much cheer, but as FERA reminded us, a badger holds 'iconic' status Read More......(read more)

A new (old) headline.

2012-12-16T11:12:00Z

This week, the authors of that previous outrageous mischievous vaccination headline, (74 per cent success rate in case anyone has forgotten) have revisited their work. The revamped paper was published in Plosone with a strap line claiming a 54 per cent Read More......(read more)

Assets?

2012-12-15T10:26:01Z

When we trawl through the numerous papers written about m.bovis , badgers, cattle and other mammals who may or may not have met this armour plated bacteria, the thing which strikes the more pedantic of us is just how much 'research' rests on a Read More......(read more)

Dear Secretary of State....

2012-12-08T12:13:00Z

Below are the thoughts of an former Defra Wildlife Unit manager, who we have quoted before on this site. This is a copy of his recent letter to the Rt Hon Owen Paterson MP, Secretary of State, DEFRA. BADGER CULLING – THE WAY FORWARD As the ex-Defra Field Read More......(read more)