According to the latest figures published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), rates of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) have continued to decline across England and Wales.
The total amount of animals slaughtered due to bTB in England from July 2021 to June 2022 decreased by 20% from the previous year to 24,398 animals.
In Wales, the total number of slaughtered animals decreased by 16%. The number of slaughtered animals now stands at 9,713.
See the table below for a more in-depth breakdown of the bTB statistics:
Defra’s figures, released on September 14, also show that, in England, the herd incidence rate was 9.0, a decrease 0.2 from the previous 12 months.
Herd incidence increased by 0.2 in Wales compared to the previous 12 months, but herd prevalence remained constant between June 2021 and June 2022.
In Scotland, which has had officially TB-free (OTF) status since 2009, herd incidence and herd prevalence remains low and stable.
Bovine tuberculosis
Bovine TB is caused by a bacterium related to the one which causes human and avian tuberculosis.
It is mainly a respiratory disease. Transmission can occur through nose-to-nose contact and also through contact with saliva, urine, faeces and milk.
Cattle can become infected when directly exposed to infectious cattle (or other infectious animals) and their excretions.
According to Defra, the movement of cattle with undetected infection is the most likely way that the disease spreads to new areas.
