{"id":1337716,"date":"2024-06-27T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-27T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.agriland.ie\/?p=1337716"},"modified":"2024-06-27T10:34:18","modified_gmt":"2024-06-27T09:34:18","slug":"further-changes-made-to-bovine-tb-testing-in-wales","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lightsail.agriland.ie\/farming-news\/further-changes-made-to-bovine-tb-testing-in-wales\/","title":{"rendered":"Further changes made to bovine TB testing in Wales"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Further changes have been made to bovine tuberculosis (bTB) testing in Wales<\/a> by Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Irranca-Davies said the changes were made in response to industry feedback to simplify procedures without compromising the risk of disease spread.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Changes to bTB testing in Wales were announced in January<\/a> of this year and included reintroducing pre-movement testing of cattle or other bovine animals located in the Low TB Area (LTBA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The further changes, announced yesterday (Wednesday, June 27), include the cessation of the routine testing of calves under 42 days in a bTB incident, unless the TB risk from these animals is considered high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Routine surveillance testing in Approved Finishing Units (AFUs), or Licensed Finishing Units (LFUs), is also ceasing, unless the risk in considered high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Default Skin testing of a cattle herd, following slaughterhouse suspicion alone, will cease to be a requirement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having considered the evidence, the Welsh government said it is content that a herd check test is no longer needed, if the sample from the suspect animal identified at inspection in a slaughterhouse is negative on laboratory testing.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If, on the other hand, the slaughterhouse sample test result is positive, then the herd will be marked forward for a further test 60 days after the animal left the herd. This test will count as the first breakdown test.     <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The final change concerns tracing tests, which will continue to reduce the risk of TB spread through movements of cattle from TB breakdown herds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, data analysis of trace tests currently supports a move away from trace testing of all cattle moved in low risk situations, the government said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TB testing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Irranca-Davies said the changes to the specific types of TB test involved have taken into account the resources required by farmers and vets and cost-effectiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Since my appointment in March, I have made a point of meeting farmers, vets and others across the industry to listen to their concerns around TB and the burden and anxieties these can cause,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I\u2019m pleased to be able to announce today that further changes – which have been made in response to industry feedback – are now in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

“Recognising the impact on farmers, their families and their businesses is at the forefront of my mind.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Irranca-Davies said he accepted all the Technical Advisory Group\u2019s advice regarding the on-farm slaughter of TB reactors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We have worked alongside APHA and already implemented changes to the management of pregnant cattle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Our programme for eradicating bovine TB<\/a> is centred around partnership working with our farmers and vets, this is crucial to reaching our shared goal of a TB-free Wales.”<\/p>\n\n\n