scholarly journals Assessing the effects of the first 2 years of industry‐led badger culling in England on the incidence of bovine tuberculosis in cattle in 2013–2015

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (18) ◽  
pp. 7213-7230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucy A. Brunton ◽  
Christl A. Donnelly ◽  
Heather O'Connor ◽  
Alison Prosser ◽  
Stuart Ashfield ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bovine Tuberculosis ◽  
Badger Culling

scholarly journals Bovine tuberculosis in cattle from 1986 to 2012 in and around badger-culled areas of the RBCT

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Hendy
Keyword(s):  
Bovine Tuberculosis ◽  
Health Agency ◽  
Incidence Data ◽  
Badger Culling ◽  
Scientific Group ◽  
Surrounding Areas ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Impact ◽  
South West England

In 2007 the Independent Scientific Group (ISG) reported to the UK government the impact on bovine tuberculosis (TB) in cattle of a trial where badgers were culled between 1998 and 2005. This trial, known as the Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT), was performed across 100 km2 (nominal) zones in the West of England. The results were based on a model of new herd incidence data. It was concluded that reactive culling generated overall detrimental effects, while proactive culling achieved very modest overall benefits at the cost of elevated incidence on neighbouring farms. This work looks at more extensive RBCT data to examine if these findings hold true. Instead of presenting the results of a model, this work directly illustrates data supplied in March 2016 by the Animal and Plant Health Agency. Such data covers a greater number of years (1986 to 2012) and includes the prevalence of herd restrictions as well as herd incidence. It appears that whilst cattle TB noticeably reduced in areas subjected to proactive culling, TB did not significantly increase in the surrounding areas. The more limited reactive culls were found to have no significant impact either positively or negatively. This applied to both the treated and surrounding areas. The more extensive data also showed that culling badgers only reduced confirmed TB with no significant impact on unconfirmed TB. This was also found by the ISG in 2007 when using their model. The delay before culling benefit became apparent was about 5 years after the first substantial cull. This has implications for the culls which started in South West England in 2013. If account is taken for the need to average the data, the number of years needed to see TB drop, and the reporting delay, it may not be until September 2023 before the impact of these culls become clear. Also, if culls stop after year four in each zone, this risks benefits falling short of those achieved in the RBCT.

scholarly journals The prevalence, distribution and severity of detectable pathological lesions in badgers naturally infected with Mycobacterium bovis

2007 ◽  
Vol 136 (10) ◽  
pp. 1350-1361 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. E. JENKINS ◽  
W. I. MORRISON ◽  
D. R. COX ◽  
C. A. DONNELLY ◽  
W. T. JOHNSTON ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Tract ◽  
Mycobacterium Bovis ◽  
Bovine Tuberculosis ◽  
Lower Prevalence ◽  
Large Sample ◽  
Pathological Lesions ◽  
Badger Culling ◽  
Severe Pathology ◽  
Bite Wounds ◽  
The Impact

SUMMARYThe Randomized Badger Culling Trial (RBCT) began in 1998 to determine the impact of badger culling in controlling bovine tuberculosis in cattle. A total of 1166 badgers (14% of total) proactively culled during the RBCT were found to be tuberculous, offering a unique opportunity to study the pathology caused by Mycobacterium bovis in a large sample of badgers. Of these, 39% of adults (~6% of all adults culled) had visible lesions (detectable at necropsy) of bovine tuberculosis; cubs had a lower prevalence of infection (9%) but a higher percentage of tuberculous cubs (55·5%) had visible lesions. Only ~1% of adult badgers had extensive, severe pathology. Tuberculous badgers with recorded bite wounds (~5%) had a higher prevalence of visible lesions and a different distribution of lesions, suggesting transmission via bite wounds. However, the predominance of lesions in the respiratory tract indicates that most transmission occurs by the respiratory route.

scholarly journals Bovine tuberculosis in cattle from 1986 to 2012 in and around badger-culled areas of the RBCT

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Hendy
Keyword(s):  
Bovine Tuberculosis ◽  
Health Agency ◽  
Incidence Data ◽  
Badger Culling ◽  
Media Hype ◽  
Scientific Group ◽  
Surrounding Areas ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Impact

In 2007 the Independent Scientific Group (ISG) reported to the UK government the impact on bovine tuberculosis (TB) in cattle of a trial where badgers were culled between 1998 and 2005. This trial, known as the Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT), was performed across 100 km2 (nominal) zones in the West of England. The results were based on a model of new herd incidence data. It was concluded that reactive culling generated overall detrimental effects, while proactive culling achieved very modest overall benefits at the cost of elevated incidence in surrounding areas. This work looks at more extensive RBCT data to examine if these findings hold true. Instead of presenting the results of a model, this work directly illustrates the data. The Animal and Plant Health Agency supplied this data in March 2016. Such data covers a greater number of years (1986 to 2012) and includes the prevalence of herd restrictions as well as herd incidence. Whilst the proactive culls substantially and sustainably reduced cattle TB in treated areas, such culls did not significantly increase TB in the surrounding areas. In fact New Herd Incidents (NHI’s) between 2006 and 2012 dropped by 28%, 1% and 18% in the treated, outer 2km ring, and combined areas respectively. Based on the number of NHI’s prevented since 1998, a break-even cost for a badger removal exercise was calculated to be £8,454 per km2. This figure may be under-estimated because it takes no account of any NHI’s prevented after 2012. The more limited reactive culls were found to have no significant impact. This applied to both the treated area and outer 2km ring. The data also showed that the culls only reduced confirmed TB with no significant impact on unconfirmed TB. This was also found by the ISG when they reported results in 2007. Arguments surrounding badger culling in the UK have been poorly based due to incomplete data. In view of this and media hype, it should be emphasised that after the first year of substantial culling across the study area, 9 years of data were needed to clearly see the full extent by which TB dropped in the RBCT. This has implications for the culls which started in South West England in 2013. If the current reporting delay of 20 months persists, it may be the autumn of 2023 at the earliest before the impact of these culls becomes clear. Also, if culls stop after year four in each zone, this risks benefits falling short of those achieved in the RBCT.

scholarly journals Inferring Mycobacterium bovis transmission between cattle and badgers using isolates from the Randomised Badger Culling Trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (11) ◽  
pp. e1010075
Author(s):  
Andries J. van Tonder ◽  
Mark J. Thornton ◽  
Andrew J. K. Conlan ◽  
Keith A. Jolley ◽  
Lee Goolding ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mycobacterium Bovis ◽  
Bovine Tuberculosis ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Cattle Industry ◽  
Cattle Movement ◽  
Badger Culling ◽  
Movement Data ◽  
South West ◽  
Different Parts ◽  
South West England

Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) is a causative agent of bovine tuberculosis, a significant source of morbidity and mortality in the global cattle industry. The Randomised Badger Culling Trial was a field experiment carried out between 1998 and 2005 in the South West of England. As part of this trial, M. bovis isolates were collected from contemporaneous and overlapping populations of badgers and cattle within ten defined trial areas. We combined whole genome sequences from 1,442 isolates with location and cattle movement data, identifying transmission clusters and inferred rates and routes of transmission of M. bovis. Most trial areas contained a single transmission cluster that had been established shortly before sampling, often contemporaneous with the expansion of bovine tuberculosis in the 1980s. The estimated rate of transmission from badger to cattle was approximately two times higher than from cattle to badger, and the rate of within-species transmission considerably exceeded these for both species. We identified long distance transmission events linked to cattle movement, recurrence of herd breakdown by infection within the same transmission clusters and superspreader events driven by cattle but not badgers. Overall, our data suggests that the transmission clusters in different parts of South West England that are still evident today were established by long-distance seeding events involving cattle movement, not by recrudescence from a long-established wildlife reservoir. Clusters are maintained primarily by within-species transmission, with less frequent spill-over both from badger to cattle and cattle to badger.

scholarly journals Bovine tuberculosis: the genetic basis of host susceptibility

2010 ◽  
Vol 277 (1695) ◽  
pp. 2737-2745 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. R. Allen ◽  
G. Minozzi ◽  
E. J. Glass ◽  
R. A. Skuce ◽  
S. W. J. McDowell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Bovine Tuberculosis ◽  
Genetic Basis ◽  
Host Susceptibility ◽  
Host Genotype ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Badger Culling ◽  
Agricultural Industries ◽  
The Uk

The prevalence of bovine tuberculosis (BTB) in the UK remains a significant economic burden and problem for the agri-food industry. Much effort has been directed towards improving diagnostics, finding vaccine candidates and assessing the usefulness of badger culling. The contribution that host genotype makes to disease outcome has, until recently, been overlooked; yet, it is biologically untenable that genetic variation does not play a role. In this review, we highlight the evidence, past and present, for a role of host genetics in determining susceptibility to BTB in livestock. We then address some of the major issues surrounding the design of future studies tasked with finding the exact causative genetic variation underpinning the TB susceptibility phenotype. Finally, we discuss some of the potential future benefits, and problems, that a knowledge of the genetic component to BTB resistance/susceptibility may bring to the agricultural industries and the wider scientific community.

Public attitudes towards badger culling to control bovine tuberculosis in cattle

2000 ◽  
Vol 147 (7) ◽  
pp. 179-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. C. L. White ◽  
S. J. Whiting
Keyword(s):  
Bovine Tuberculosis ◽  
Public Attitudes ◽  
Badger Culling

scholarly journals Environmental risk factors associated with bovine tuberculosis among cattle in high-risk areas

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 20150536 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Winkler ◽  
F. Mathews
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Bovine Tuberculosis ◽  
Predictive Power ◽  
Badger Culling ◽  
Infection Dynamics ◽  
Deciduous Woodland ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Risk Areas ◽  
Cattle Herds ◽  
Control Study

Our research shows that environmental features are important predictors of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in British cattle herds in high-prevalence regions. Data from 503 case and 808 control farms included in the randomized badger culling trial (RBCT) were analysed. bTB risk increased in larger herds and on farms with greater areas of maize, deciduous woodland and marsh, whereas a higher percentage of boundaries composed of hedgerows decreased the risk. The model was tested on another case–control study outside RBCT areas, and here it had a much smaller predictive power. This suggests that different infection dynamics operate outside high-risk areas, although it is possible that unknown confounding factors may also have played a role.

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