The cattle TB crisis – a radical rethink

Abstract

Cattle tuberculosis in Great Britain is out of control, rising at some 18% a year, but there is great confusion as to why cattle control measures are not working (Hancox 2004a). Culling over 10000 badgers so far in the Krebs Randomised Badger Culling Trial has had no effect, despite repeated calls for mass culls by farmers and vets (Hancox 2004b). Badgers are blamed for this crisis because it is claimed cattle-to-cattle transmission is unimportant, and badgers with TB are found after repeat breakdowns in herds supposedly free of TB after negative tests.