Does no lesions mean no infection?

Information on why no lesions does not mean that the animal was not infected with Tuberculosis (TB).

The post-mortem examination carried out at slaughterhouses is done for reasons of public health, not to confirm TB in the cattle. Inspectors examine those parts of the animal where we know that TB is most likely to occur. They have only a limited time for that examination at abattoir. More detailed examination is possible at the laboratory, and TB may be confirmed if seen under the microscope or grown in the laboratory from animals where no lesions were found. We will not pay any extra money if we don’t find bovine TB in your animals, as the animal has failed the skin test and is still classed as a ‘reactor. By law, these animals must be slaughtered.