The skin test is flawed

A dairy farm in North Wiltshire has suffered the negative effects of the eradication policy since it experienced its first breakdown in 2000. Since then it has suffered intermittent but continued breakdowns, with the consequential stress and loss of income. The animals are pedigree, award-winning Holsteins and the emphasis has always been on the health of the cattle. It is stressed that all the animals on the farm have always looked visually healthy, with no clinical signs of bovine TB. It is a closed herd, with extensive grazing available (300 acres) for all but the dairy animals, which, when not indoors, have access to around 90 acres.

Throughout this period of herd breakdowns, there has been significant evidence regarding the unreliability of the existing skin test. Interestingly, on this farm, no inconclusive reactors have ever been found, only reactors. The reactors have always been in-calf heifers or, occasionally dry cows, all of which are grazed outside. A dead deer was found recently, which was presumed to have died from TB but this was not confirmed. The fact that it is mainly the cattle that are kept outdoors that are being identified as reactors means that wildlife in the area may be implicated.

When the first two reactors were identified in 2000 evidence of lesions were found on postmortem. This breakdown lasted six months and no other animals tested positive until the next breakdown in 2003. This involved 35 animals from one field. They all looked healthy, with no visual signs of disease. On postmortem only a third were found to have evidence of any lesions. It took over eighteen months to get over this breakdown. 8 animals failed, then 12, then another 12 over the 60 day testing periods. The farm was shut up for a year, movement was restricted and stock could not be sold. A total of 42 animals were eventually slaughtered. It is stressed that all the animals slaughtered as reactors looked healthy and had no clinical symptoms of any kind. In fact the farmer has said he has never seen any symptom of the disease in his livestock since the very first breakdown but every 60 days the farm was having to test, with all the inconvenience of this, time involved and stress of having to wait for results.

Then there were two clear tests but this was short-lived as shortly after eight animals were sent for routine slaughter. The slaughterhouse picked up lesions in one animal. This animal concerned was a 12 year old, ex dairy cow, which had successfully calved (producing good, strong calves each time) 10 times. She had never been ill in her life and her milk yield was constant. She had tested clear each time over her ten year lifespan, including the last test held just a short period before her slaughter - yet she was found to have lesions! Consequently the farm, despite being completely clear on the previous skin test, was forced into yet another breakdown routine and consequential restrictions. The farm is again on movement restriction. This farmer is at the end of his tether. As well as the severe and ongoing stress, he is losing out financially as the compensation from the slaughtered animals does not cover all the costs or losses incurred. He is unable to participate in the current sales and cannot currently sell his prize winning pedigree stock. He would normally be selling between 70 and 80 head of stock per year. His losses in this year alone are estimated at £85,000. He has no faith whatsoever in the existing skin test and is very concerned that the health of his animals is in the hands of others who do not have the in-depth knowledge he has regarding their health and welfare. Bovine TB, the policy, not the disease, has blighted his farm for ten years and sets to do so into the future too unless the policy is changed.