Written question asked by Countess of Mar (Crossbench), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Bach (Labour) on Thursday, 16 June 2005.

Badgers and Bovine Tuberculosis

Question: Whether polymerase chain reaction testing is considered to be unsuitable for the detection of bovine tuberculosis in badgers; and, if so, whether this applies to fresh faecal matter and saliva as well as blood testing.

Answer: The detection of mycobacterium bovis directly from live badgers and their excretions using techniques based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is difficult largely because of the low levels and intermittent nature of excretion of m. bovis by infected animals. We are developing procedures to do this at the Veterinary Laboratories Agency in collaboration with Imperial College, London. The results are encouraging but the test needs to be fully validated prior to use in the field for routine diagnosis.

Secondary information