TB Health Check Wales Deemed a Success
Health Check Wales was established to test Wales’ 13,130 registered cattle herds in order to gain a more accurate picture of the spread of bovine TB across Wales. All registered herds in Wales have now had a TB test during the past fifteen months or have a test booked for early in the New Year.
As a result of TB Health Check Wales, the number of overdue tests has been reduced from 711 at the beginning of the programme, to just six at the end of November 2009. The initiative has also resulted in the slaughter of 185 infected cattle from 96 herds previously thought to be free from bovine TB. Sixty two of these herds were located in North Wales, an area not previously considered to have a significant bovine TB problem.
Elin Jones thanked vets and farmers for their co-operation during Health Check Wales, and congratulated Animal Health for delivering the programme on behalf of the Welsh Assembly Government. He said: “Not only has TB Health Check Wales given us a clear picture of disease levels in Wales, but it has helped to stop the disease from establishing itself in new areas. This is due to early identification of incidents of the disease, and rapid removal of the sources of infection. TB Health Check Wales has had a real impact in areas such as North Wales, where bovine TB was not thought to be a significant problem. Prior to this initiative, cattle in the area were only tested every four years. Thanks to Health Check Wales, herds in these areas have been tested, and removed if infected, much sooner.”
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
