Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs
has today announced the
implementation of additional contiguous testing in the
Intermediate TB Area North (ITBAN) following a spike in TB
incidents.
Last year there was a 75% increase in TB incidents on the
previous 12 months in the Intermediate TB Area North.
In response to the spike, from 13 November 2018 there will be an
extension in the use of additional contiguous testing around
Officially TB Free Withdrawn (OTFW) breakdown herds in the
Intermediate TB Area North.
This additional testing in herds with increased risk of becoming
infected will result in a doubling of the effort to identify the
disease in the area, adding a further two contiguous tests at six
months intervals into the regime.
To support farmers in the Intermediate TB Area North during this
difficult time, there will be an introduction of Government
subsidised “keep it out” veterinary visits for herds which have
tested negative to contiguous testing.
These visits will be delivered by the farmer’s own local practice
via specially trained vets and will look at the local disease
picture, biosecurity and the farms cattle trading policy and
informed purchasing, mirroring the approach used in TB breakdown
Cymorth TB visits.
Announcing the changes, the Cabinet Secretary said: “The
introduction of TB Areas as part of our refreshed TB Eradication
Programme, allows us to introduce measures quickly, flexibly and
at a local level to drive down the disease and react to any
localised increases in disease.
“It is clear from the unprecedented increase in new incidents
over the last year in the Intermediate TB Area North that this is
not a short term trend and the rate will not reduce
unaided. That is why I am today announcing that we will
redouble our efforts and introduce additional contiguous testing
in the Area. On top of this we will support farmers during
this difficult time by providing ‘keep it out’ visits for herds
which have tested negative.
“We have made good progress toward achieving our goal of
eradicating bovine TB from Wales. The introduction of
additional contiguous testing within the Intermediate TB Area
North will put us in a stronger position to ensure we continue to
make progress towards a TB Free Wales.”
Notes
In October 2017, as part of a refreshed TB Eradication Programme,
a regionalised approach was adopted with the introduction of Low,
Intermediate and High TB Areas. This has allowed measures
to be introduced that can be tailored to address varying risk and
disease drivers in each ‘TB Area’.
