TB Testing

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Wed Jun 23, 2010 10:34 am

Hi Stephanie, Our bull also had two permanent lumps (by his one knee) that is what told the vet that it was this Skin TB or whatever he called it.

Colin · Post by **Colin** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 1:43 pm

Just as an update to this, the reactor goes next Wed and we should know whether the 2 IRs get a stay of execution by the end of next week.

The only thing we know at the moment is that this was not brought in by cattle movements. The badger sett I found is unused except for rabbits. Animal Health will do a risk survey for us but have mentioned animal feed as another possible source. The only feed we've bought in are additional local haylage bales when our own ran low at the end of winter. I mentioned our shock given we were only in a 4 year area up until recently, Animal Health said TB is spreading everywhere. So be warned.

Regards,

Colin

bjreroberts · Post by **bjreroberts** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 2:09 pm

Colin wrote:JAnimal Health will do a risk survey for us but have mentioned animal feed as another possible source. The only feed we've bought in are additional local haylage bales when our own ran low at the end of winter.

Does anyone know how long do the bacteria survive for outside the body?

If haylage can be infected then surely it must get infected prior to bayling so this would have to be several months before the feed is actually used.

AlisonKirk · Post by **AlisonKirk** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 3:37 pm

Ben

I'm sure our Animal Health person said it was 14 days.

Alison Kirk
Boram Dexters

Duncan MacIntyre · Post by **Duncan MacIntyre** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 7:19 pm

TB survival time in cattle dung is 6 to 8 weeks.

What I don't know and would be very interested in is the survival time in badger setts. This is critical if any culling project is to have any success.

Duncan

Colin · Post by **Colin** » Thu Jul 15, 2010 10:24 pm

Another update, the Reactor was slaughtered last week and we had the post mortem result which was NVL (no visible lesions). That at least is some good news. It means our two IRs get a stay of execution, for a few weeks at least.

The next test is a culture test from muscle cells taken from the Reactor. We'll get the result in around 8 weeks. If this test is positive, the IRs are slaughtered and we have a whole herd, 60 day test with stricter readings. This is then followed by a further 60 day TB test with standard readings. If the culture test is negative the IRs survive, at least until a single whole herd 60 day TB test with standard readings. So my fingers and toes are crossed.

If we have any new reactors or IRs this process continues until we are clear, either of TB or cattle.

It took two and a half weeks to collect the Reactor from us which I thought was very long. I complained and was told a farmer (not near us) has had 150 Reactors which has caused a backlog. I can't imagine how that farmer feels.

I'm reading my daughter James Herriott stories at the moment and from these I can't see any improvement in the science of TB management since the late 1930s. Only the paperwork seems to have changed.

By the way, don't bring in Alpacas if you keep cattle. They can carry TB, but testing is only voluntary.

State vet still confident we got it from wildlife. With so much deer around our area, she feels this is a more likely source than badgers.

To end on a positive note, one of the IRs has had a nice little heifer calf. Apparently calves are unlikely to get TB from mothers milk. So we're hoping we can keep this one if her mother has to go.

Regards,

Colin

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Fri Jul 16, 2010 9:37 am

Our test was read on April 29th and our cow supposedly reacted - no lesions were found and despite phone calls from me I am still being told this morning that there are no results available yet from the other tests done!!!

We have the TB test again next week and it would be nice to have the full results first.

Stephanie

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Fri Jul 16, 2010 10:06 am

I thought this anonymous contribution from someone working in a TB lab was quite interesting. He or she certainly sounds knowledgable.

http://www.warmwell.com/06jan28tbblogsanity.html

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Wed Jul 21, 2010 2:44 pm

I am delighted to say a very nice man in the TB department kindly rang me on several occasions - just to say he still hadn't got the results but at least he did bother to ring me. Now at last he has phoned to say the results from the rest of the tests have come through for our cow and they were all clear!

Anyway we are having another test this week, it is read on Friday so we are still worried!!!

Stephanie

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Wed Jul 21, 2010 4:49 pm

Stephanie, are you saying that a cow that has been culled did not have TB, or at least the tests couldn't find any? Fingers crossed on Friday.

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Wed Jul 21, 2010 9:52 pm

The tests couldn't find any TB in the cow that was culled Clive.

Stephanie

Edited By Saffy on 1279745588

Denise · Post by **Denise** » Thu Jul 22, 2010 7:49 am

Hi Stephie - do you get compensation for that????

God we in Australia are SOOO lucky - we dont have these problems.

Wonder what your human TB population is?? My guess would be it would be high because of cross-contamination?? please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on this.

Regards and good luck Steph for next week!

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Thu Jul 22, 2010 9:06 am

Hello Denise,

Farmers are compensated to some extent for the cow.

However what is not compensated for at all is our considerable time spent getting animals in for the tests, waiting for the vet and doing each test, the unbelievable stress when you find a cow has to go suddenly, the worry that it will mean other will go as well and time and money spent looking for replacements - they aren't just going to plop onto the field. Most of us are quite picky with our cattle - not just us Dexter people.

In our case a calf had to be unexpectedly weaned and the poor cow spent the next 3 weeks with her nose stuck to the barn door wanting to come out before they took her, it was heartbreaking. She was a cow that hated being in even in winter, so we had given her and her calf a tiny paddock with a stone shed to run back into when it was very cold.

Stephanie

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Thu Jul 22, 2010 1:01 pm

Last year my vet said they had changed suppliers of tuberculin, and suddenly the incidences of TB reactors dropped dramatically!!!

This new article is basically saying the same thing, we have changed to a Dutch supplier and suddenly cases have dropped by 25%.

http://www.farmersguardian.com/home....article

Minnie · Post by **Minnie** » Thu Jul 22, 2010 11:16 pm

Hi Denise,

You're right we are soooo lucky here, and yet unpasteurised milk is still not legal, doesn't make any sense at all when we're TB free, fear mongering maybe?

I feel for you all over there with having to go through all this with your animals.

Vicki