TB in animal at slaughter

Information on why Tuberculosis (TB) may be found in an animal at slaughter after the last herd test was clear.

The tuberculin test assesses the disease status of the herd on the day it is completed. Cattle in your herd may be at risk of infection and become infected after the test is completed. This may happen through cattle moving into your herd, contact across fences with your neighbours’ cattle, or contact with infected wildlife, for example badgers. Evidence of disease can then develop quickly in an animal, approximately 3-4 weeks.

Although the tuberculin test is the best test currently available, it may occasionally miss an infected animal, which may show evidence of disease later when it is slaughtered. This is another reason why TB may be seen in an animal which was clear at its last test.