Defra 'significantly under-estimating’ TB levels in non-bovines

The latest Defra statistics (see table below) show, for example, that bTB was confirmed in 28 alpacas in the first six months of the year.

However, 16 members of an alpaca TB support group have reported the loss of 155 animals to the disease between them in the first seven months of this year. One owner alone has lost around 40 animals, making a mockery of the official Defra figure.

Defra officials have told the group’s founder, Diane Summers, that 35 alpaca herds were under restriction in the middle of August, compared with 11 in July 2009. Her group therefore represents less than half of those currently affected.

“The Defra numbers are a joke. The reality is that we have absolutely no idea what the total losses are nationally,” Ms Summers said.

The reason for the discrepancy is that Defra’s figures only cover those animals where a culture or post mortem shows a positive result. Once TB has been confirmed in herds of non-bovine species, subsequent animals that test positive to the skin or blood tests ‘may not be examined’, Defra says.

“Therefore not all animals removed for TB disease control purposes will be reported,” a note accompanying the statistics admits.

This was confirmed by  an irate owner of a heavily infected alpaca herd, from Devon, who told Farmers Guardian he had recently reported a dead animal to Animal Health to be told he would have to organise and pay for any post mortem, himself.

The official Defra figures show that 105 alpacas were examined in the first half of this year, of which just the 28 were confirmed as ‘positive’.

Ms Summers, from Cornwall, is concerned this under-reporting  figures is contributing to a ‘lack urgency’ within Defra, Animal Health and the wider alpaca community in addressing what she believes is already a ‘horrendous’ problem.

She is campaigning for TB controls on camelids in England to put on the same footing as those applying to cattle, including routine testing, although she stressed that a more accurate test for alpacas was required.

She also wants steps taken to ensure that Animal Health is able to fully trace movements from restricted herds. This is in light of concerns that a lack of information being made available by at least infected herd has contributed to other breakdowns.

“Unless the rules are tightened up and some owners start behaving behave more responsibly, the problem is going to get worse and worse,” she said.

The British Alpaca Society (BAS) stressed that the problem was only affecting a minority of herds. BAS board member Philip O’Connor said the ‘vast majority’ of Britain’s 1,000 were clear of TB.  

He said the society was ‘working tirelessly with Animal Health and Defra to address the issues and put together a plan to ‘control and eradicate TB in alpacas’.

Wales recently announced plans to tighten its TB controls in non-bovine species. A  Defra spokesman said the Department was ‘publishing a consultation on measures to tackle bTB later this year, and will publish plans for a full package of measures in the Spring’.

TB is a notifiable disease in camelids and Animal Health has powers to restrict a herd’s movement. Defra ‘recommends’ that the best way to control the disease, where confirmed, is through slaughtering infected animals, with compensation paid to the owner. 

• Data refers to number number of M. bovis isolations from notified suspect clinical and post-mortem cases of TB.
• Cultures and post mortem examination may not be carried out on every animal removed from a herd once TB has been confirmed. Therefore not all animals removed for TB disease control purposes will be reported.
• The figures refer to individual animals not herds.

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