None of the badgers killed during the current trials have been tested for TB, making both healthy and infected animals become targeted. Thus with no data published on how many killed badgers are infected with TB, effectiveness of culling is highly questionable.

The RBCT ran from 1998 to 2007 and was overseen by the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB (ISG). The trial took place in thirty 100km2 areas of England, which were grouped into ten sets of three areas (“triplets”).

Most TB in cattle is contracted from other cattle but some infections come from badgers. The new research indicates that the disease is not passed on by direct contact, but through contaminated pasture and dung, with potentially significant implications for farm practices such as slurry spreading.

The disease has also been found in African buffalo in South Africa. M. bovis can be transmitted from human to human; an outbreak occurred in Birmingham, England, in 2004, and from human to cattle, but such occurrences are rare. In Mexico, the disease is prevalent and rising among humans.

Risk to humans Humans can catch bovine TB through: unpasteurised milk or dairy products from an infected cow, buffalo, goat or sheep. inhaling bacteria breathed out by infected animals. inhaling bacteria released from the carcasses of infected animals or from their excretions (such as faeces)

Vaccination and cows However there is no legal vaccine available. Currently the only option is the BCG vaccine (Mycobacterium bovis Bacille Calmette-Guérin – ref 1,2,3,4,5). The problem is that at present it is impossible to distinguish between a BCG-vaccinated and TB-infected cow.

tuberculosis; this can include fever, night sweats, and weight loss. Other symptoms might occur depending on the part of the body affected by the disease. For example, disease in the lungs can be associated with a cough, and gastrointestinal disease can cause abdominal pain and diarrhea.

Safe cooking guidelines for meat by the U.S. government can be seen here . Daly said: “The general public is protected from bovine tuberculosis by the federal and state meat inspection system identifying TB in slaughtered animals. Cooking and pasteurization will kill M. bovis in meat and milk.”

Can I eat venison from deer harvested in the Bovine Tb Management or Surveillance Zone? Venison from deer harvested within the Bovine Tb Management and Surveillance Zone should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit to kill M. bovis and other bacteria.

This means that being near someone with TB disease when they cough, sneeze, or even talk close to your face for an extended period of time puts you at risk for infection. Kissing, hugging, or shaking hands with a person who has TB doesn’t spread the disease.