Incidence of tuberculosis (TB) in cattle in Great Britain: August 2018

The Defra release, on which this statistical headline is based, now includes statistics on the basis of the Wales TB areas.

New TB herd incidents

• In the 12 months to August 2018, there were 739 new herd incidents reported in Wales.
• This is a 3% decrease on the previous 12 months, when there were 763 incidents.
• The overall trend since 2009 is broadly downwards. However the trajectory is not consistent, with periods of rising and falling trends over that period.

Animals slaughtered for TB control

• In the 12 months to August 2018, 10,030 cattle were slaughtered due to bovine TB control.
• This is a 2% increase on the previous 12 months when 9,807 cattle were slaughtered.
• The overall trend is variable. Much of the rise since 2014 is attributable to increased use of high-sensitivity testing. For example, gamma-testing, removal of Inconclusive Reactors (IRs) and severe interpretation of the skin test have all been used with the intention of clearing up infection and reducing the risk of the disease spreading and breakdowns recurring.