Bovine TB (bTB) is a chronic infectious bacterial disease. As it is a notifiable disease testing is under government control. However herd owners can use their herd’s previous test results to demonstrate how long their herd has been free of TB through a 0 to 10 scoring system, which is based on the number of years that their herd has been clear. The programme requires control and biosecurity measures to be in place which aim to reduce the chance of a breakdown occurring.
For herds in the TB edge area joining the CHeCS TB programme and implementing the required biosecurity measures may reduce the frequency of TB testing for your herd e.g. from six monthly to annually.
The CHeCS group has suggested membership of the TB programme could be beneficial for the following:
Farmers within high risk areas with low-risk holdings who sell livestock and want their status to be acknowledged
Farmers in lower/lowest risk areas who are selling livestock and want to ‘accredit’ their low risk status
Farmers buying in livestock who want to minimise the exposure of their herd to bTB infection
Farmer members of CHeCS schemes who would like to include bTB in the diseases they are controlling proactively
Farmers who wish to complement Government and industry efforts to control infection
For more information on the disease please see page 5 in the CHeCS TB handbook which can be found on the Rules page of our website. Alternatively go online to www.tbhub.co.uk