TB Blamed on Farmers, Not Badgers

Wildlife pressure group Badger Trust has claimed in a new report that the spread of bovine TB is down to not badgers, as widely suspected, but farming methods.
In a statement titles, “Exposed: the ‘enormous potential for farm to farm spread’ of bovine TB” the welfare charity cite unchecked cattle movement between farms as the root cause of the disease, blaming miles-wide farm holdings in tuberculosis hot spots that go unchecked.
They argue that subsequent cattle movement between neighbouring herds is the key cause of the infection spread, rather than additional wildlife such as badgers. Weak methods of outbreak farm mapping are also under fire for failing to record infections properly and halt the movement of cattle once diagnosed.
Pointing to the Republic of Ireland’s increase in TB despite their extensive badger cull, the Badger Trust are urging a re-think in this country’s battle with the disease.
Farmers have reacted strongly to the report, rubbishing the cattle movement claims.