Vaccine hope for farmers battling TB scourge

TRIALS of a vaccine that could eradicate bovine tuberculosis have shown “really promising” results, leading vets say.

- By Steph Spyro ENVIRONMENT EDITOR

TV host Jeremy Clarkson catapulted the issue into the spotlight when his Diddly Squat Farm in the Cotswolds was hit with a case of the disease this month.

The vaccination of cows and badgers is significant because farmers and scientists have long argued over the efficacy of badger culling, which is to end in 2029.

Sarah Tomlinson, of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, said: “TB is actually on the decline massively in England and Wales because governments have had a control strategy for a number of years. It’s not perfect, and there’s always evolving science and evidence that we can use to keep driving those disease levels down, but in England we are at the lowest level of TB we've had for 20 years.”

Ms Tomlinson added that a cattle vaccine for TB looks “really promising”.

She said: “The problem has always been that if we vaccinate cattle, about 80% would then test false positive in a skin test.