Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gvvz8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T08:54:35.517Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Badgers and bovine tuberculosis in the UK: a reappraisal needed

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

Martin Hancox
Martin Hancox*
Affiliation:
Stroud Gloucestershire
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Sir, The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) launched a new five-year badger culling scheme on December 8 1993, as part of its cattle tuberculosis (TB) eradication programme. After 23 years, there is still no real evidence that badger culling has reduced cattle TB, and a government report even seven years ago noted that culls were not cost-effective and logically should cease (Dunnet et al 1986). There are now plausible grounds for questioning the scientific assumptions underpinning the badger culling scheme, which are neatly epitomized by the two different situations in the UK.

Type
Letters
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 3 , Issue 3 , August 1994 , pp. 253 - 254
Copyright
© 1994 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

References

Cheeseman, C L 1989 TB in the badger. Epidemiology and Infection 103: 113–125CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Downey, L 1991 Bovine TB Programme. Eradication of Animal Disease Board: DublinGoogle Scholar
Dunnet, G M, Jones, D M, McInerney, J P 1986 Badgers and Bovine TB. HMSO: LondonGoogle Scholar
Francis, J 1947 Bovine Tuberculosis. Staples Press: LondonGoogle Scholar
Hancox, M 1994 Badgers and bovine TB. Small Carnivore Conservation 10: 5, 9,19Google Scholar
MAFF 1992 Animal Health: the report of the chief veterinary officer. HMSO: LondonGoogle Scholar
McIlroy, S G 1986 Pulmonary lesions and TB excretion in cattle. Veterinary Record 118: 718–721CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Neill, S D 1992 Isolation of M bovis from respiratory tracts of cattle. Veterinary Record 131: 45–47; ibid 122: 184,123: 340CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wilesmith, J W 1986 Tuberculosis lesions in reactor cows. Veterinary Record 118: 51CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zuckerman, S 1980 Badgers, Cattle and Tuberculosis. HMSO: LondonGoogle Scholar