Scotland: National Rural Network
Connecting Rural Scotland - Promoting Rural Growth

The Scottish Government has announced some adjustments to bovine tuberculosis (TB) protocols in Scotland. Scotland has been officially bovine TB free for almost a year.

The Scottish Government say their Officially Tuberculosis Free (OTF) Implementation Plan has maintained the country's low and stable incidence of TB and helped to identify risk factors for the new incidents that continue to arise.

Glasgow University are currently carrying out research looking at the long-term options for more effective and targeted TB surveillance with results due in April 2011. In the meantime, the Scottish Government have announced interim adjustments to address concerns of cattle keepers and vets.

The Scottish Government say the interim adjustments should cut costs for keepers without incurring additional risk of the spread of bovine TB.

Below is a summary of the interim adjustments:

• Testing of neighbouring farms around confirmed TB outbreaks will be limited to those where nose to nose contact is possible. Follow up tests at six and 12 months will no longer be required
• Voluntary slaughter of inconclusive reactors born and kept in either Scotland or in a low incidence area and where there is no evidence of TB at post mortem or culture, will now trigger only a routine herd test after 12 months unless they can be related to an existing outbreak e.g. a traced animal
• Confirmed breakdown follow-up testing at six and 12 months will be replaced by one test in a six to 12 month window after OTF herd status is restored. This should allow the herd to return to testing at the most convenient time of year
• Unconfirmed breakdown testing at six and 12 months after OTF herd status is restored will no longer be required
• New herds formed from cattle born and kept in either Scotland or in a low incidence area, will revert to four yearly testing after a 12 month routine herd test. Those new herds that include cattle born or kept in a high incidence area will require a 12 month whole herd test
• In exceptional cases, a breakdown may be managed as if 'confirmed' even though visibly lesioned reactors have not been found. This would be on the basis of a link to an infected herd
• Annual testing of herds sustained by regular Irish imports will be limited to adult cattle, young cattle for breeding and cattle purchased since the last test
• Cattle imported from the Republic of Ireland will now be restricted at first destination pending a negative 60 day post import test. Any reactor cattle at the 60 day test will be slaughtered at the owner's expense although they should be able to realise the value of the carcase

You can find out more about the adjustments on the Scottish Government website.