Written question asked by Bill Wiggin (Conservative) on Monday, 9 January 2006, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 11 January 2006. It was answered by Ben Bradshaw (Labour) on Monday, 16 January 2006 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Tuberculosis Test

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to introduce polymerase chain reaction testing to reinforce the tuberculosis test in cases where reactors are found.

Answer: We are continuing to fund projects at the Veterinary Laboratories Agency to develop methods (including polymerase chain reaction-PCR) for detecting Mycobacterium bovis in clinical samples. PCR methods potentially offer extra flexibility and speed in confirming M. Bovis in post-mortem cattle samples. So far, however, PCR has not shown itself to be superior in terms of sensitivity, specificity or overall reliability to conventional culture.At present it is unrealistic to consider PCR methods as a viable alternative to the existing primary surveillance tool for TB in live cattle (i.e. the tuberculin skin test) or to other ancillary ante-mortem tests that are used when skin test reactors are found.

Secondary information