Incidence of tuberculosis (TB) in cattle in Great Britain: March 2020

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Statistics release, on which this statistical headline is based, includes statistics on the basis of the Wales TB areas.

New TB herd incidents

In the 12 months to March 2020, there were 643 new herd incidents reported in Wales. This is a 12% decrease on the previous 12 months, when there were 733 new incidents.

Animals slaughtered for TB control

In the 12 months to March 2020, 11,558 cattle were slaughtered due to bovine TB control. This is a 1% decrease on the previous 12 months, when 11,660 cattle were slaughtered.

Further information

The overall trend for animals slaughtered due to bovine TB control 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.

As the chart shows, the monthly series is extremely variable and peaks can be expected from time to time. There has been an increase in the series since the peak in October 2018 was reached. Further analysis has been published in the statistical article: Analysis on the number of animals slaughtered due to bovine TB controls, October 2018 to June 2019.