Whole-herd slaughter in Scotland

AN ENTIRE herd of 95 beef cattle in south-west Scotland has been compulsorily slaughtered after the confirmation of bovine TB on the farm.

Tests were ordered at William Gibson”s Southwoodhead Farm, Canonbie, Dumfriesshire, last week after TB lesions were found in a routine check of an animal in an abattoir.

Of the 95 cattle in the herd, the Scottish Executive said 43 were positive TB reactors. The disease was subsequently confirmed by post-mortem.

Whole-herd slaughter was ordered due to the high numbers of infected animals found. The last time an entire herd was culled in Scotland due to TB was in 2003 at a farm in south Lanarkshire. In that case, where cattle from high-risk TB area had been brought on to the farm, 296 cattle were culled.

Investigations are still under way in the Southwoodhead case to try to establish the origin of the outbreak. Mr Gibson issued a statement through NFU Scotland. “Obviously, this is a difficult time,” he said. “I have lived on this farm for 50 years, and there have never been any problems, particularly as far as TB is concerned. My main priority now is to co-operate with the authorities and to ensure that this outbreak is stamped out.”

TB cases in Scotland have increased from four confirmed new incidents in 2000 to 21 in 2004.

 In a bid to stop any further spread of the disease in Scotland, rural development minister Ross Finnie has announced the introduction of pre and post-movement testing of any cattle brought into the country from areas deemed to be high risk for TB. And immediate movement restrictions are now slapped on any herd where a routine TB test is overdue.