Compulsory TB blood testing to expand in herds in England

Compulsory interferon-gamma blood testing will be extended to more cattle herds in England from July, under changes by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (Apha).

From 1 July 2026, all herds in the Edge Area that lose their officially tuberculosis free (OTF) status will be required to undergo blood testing alongside the standard tuberculin skin test.

Any cattle returning a positive result will be removed, with compensation paid in line with existing arrangements.

See also: New bovine TB review backs flexible farm testing

At present, compulsory use of the interferon gamma (IFN-γ) test is largely limited to certain breakdown herds in the High Risk Area (HRA) and parts of the Edge Area under enhanced surveillance.

While the test improves the detection of infected cattle, particularly those missed by using the skin test, its wider use is likely to result in more animals being identified as reactors.

The Tenant Farmers Association (TFA) said the move reflects growing emphasis on improving test sensitivity, following the 2025 Godfray evidence review update, which highlighted the need to identify infected cattle that may not be detected by the skin test alone.

Range of measures

Alongside expanded testing, Defra is pursuing a range of measures to tackle the disease.

This includes tighter cattle movement controls, enhanced surveillance, development of a deployable cattle BCG (Bacillus Calmette Guérin) vaccine, and a transition from widespread badger culling towards vaccination in targeted areas.

Despite some recent improvements in disease levels, bovine TB remains deeply entrenched in parts of England and continues to have a significant financial and emotional impact on beef and dairy farming businesses.

The government is expected to publish its refreshed TB strategy later this spring.

This should set out how it intends to build on recent progress and meet its long-standing target of achieving officially TB-free status by 2038.

Defra comment

A Defra spokesman confirmed: “From 1 July 2026, compulsory interferon-gamma testing will be extended to all infected herds in the Edge Area.

“Earlier detection and removal of infected animals helps reduce the spread of disease, protect neighbouring herds and other livestock, and lower the risk of repeat breakdowns.”

The spokesman added that using interferon-gamma testing “helps identify infected cattle earlier and supports the wider approach to tackling bovine TB through testing, movement controls and strong biosecurity”.