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The Epidemic Of Bovine Tuberculosis

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1.0 Introduction
Bovine Tuberculosis is a notified disease caused by mycobacterium bovis, in which all organisms are susceptible, including humans and cattle (Boden, E, 2005). Between January and June 2014, the number of herds now officially not Bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) free has come to 6,312 with the number of cattle being slaughtered reaching 17,063. The impact of a herd breakdown due to bTB is devastating, costing the farmers £14,000 and the government £20,000 (DEFRA, October 2014). It is important to prevent TB due to its high pathogenicity, so a number of control strategies are in place nationally and internationally with the intent to eradicate TB in Great Britain and other countries.
2.0 Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis is spread by inhalation or ingestion of the bacteria, either directly through infected milk, the placenta or ingesting contaminated food and water, or indirectly through environmental conditions such as being where infected badgers have been (DARDNI, 2013). Bovine TB can take months or even years to start showing signs which is why it is important to test cattle regularly. This is done with the Single Intradermal Comparative Cervical Tuberculin test (SICCT). Both the bovine and avian form of tuberculosis is injected side by side into the neck. After 72 hours, the site is re-checked for a reaction. A bovine TB infected cow will show more swelling on the bovine tuberculin site than on the avian tuberculin site, thus proving that the cow is a reactor for bovine

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