New Scottish Bovine TB Controls Welcomed

SCOTLAND, UK - New legislation came into effect at the end of last week designed to tighten bovine TB controls and help Scotland retain its bTB-free status.
calendar icon 14 October 2015
clock icon 1 minute read

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) and BVA Scottish Branch have welcomed the new legislation, saying it will further protect Scotland’s livestock against bovine TB.

The new rules will extend the regime of TB controls to specified non-bovine animals, including alpaca, sheep, and farmed deer. These controls include notification of the disease in specified non-bovine animals and compulsory slaughter of any TB reactors identified.

BVA Scottish Branch President Grace Webster said: "We are pleased to see that the Scottish Government has put legislative measures in place to guard against an incursion of the disease into Scotland in line with our advice.

"We know that the disease in South American Camelids has an extensive and aggressive pathology, and has zoonotic potential, so these new controls show the foresight of the Scottish Government in animal welfare and agriculture as well as human health.”

BVA President Sean Wensley said: “We continue to work with our Scottish colleagues and the Scottish Government to protect Scotland’s officially TB free status and welcome this new legislation, however we know that disease does not respect borders and that one of the surest ways to safeguard Scotland’s livestock against bovine TB is to ensure its eradication in the rest of the UK.”

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