This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Bovine TB in Gretna dairy herd
21/09/2006
The Executive has confirmed a significant outbreak of bovine TB in a dairy herd in Gretna.
Suspicion of infection was notified on Friday 4 August 2006 by Buitelaar abattoir, Kilmarnock, when four carcases were found to have lesions consistent with bovine tuberculosis. All four animals came from the same herd belonging to Mr Conaghan of West Scales, Rigg, Gretna.
Follow up tests of the herd have resulted in a further 60 positive reactors and 11 inconclusive reactors being identified. These animals will be compulsorily slaughtered with compensation.
Mr Conaghan said:
"I am fully aware of the need to co-operate fully with SVS investigations of the remaining animals in the herd. The gamma interferon test will be carried out to help determine the need or otherwise for a whole herd slaughter.
"I would ask the media to respect the fact that this is a difficult time for me and this farm and that we are working actively to control the disease. It is important that we are allowed to focus our energies on this."
Tracings on and off the herd are being investigated and animals that have moved off the premise will be restricted, isolated and tested.
TB is caused by various species of bacteria called 'Mycobacteria'. Cases of bovine TB in humans are rare and usually only found in people who caught it abroad or elderly people who probably caught it from drinking milk before pasteurisation was introduced. In Scotland the sale of unpasteurised cow's milk has been prohibited since 1983.
Mr Conaghan runs a "flying" dairy herd of approximately 270 animals; a "flying" herd being a dairy herd where the owner buys in all replacements as freshly calved heifers or milking cows, which are kept for a few years and then culled or sold.
This case highlights the importance of good slaughterhouse TB surveillance as a way of supplementing the on-farm testing regime.
There are no risks to health for the general population. Any farm workers who have been in direct contact with infected animals will be assessed for risk of exposure and will be offered screening for TB by medical staff according to standard national protocols, if indicated. Guidance is provided by the Health and Safety Executive.