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Written question asked by Andrew George (Liberal Democrat) on Thursday, 6 May 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 25 May 2004. It was answered by Ben Bradshaw (Labour) on Tuesday, 25 May 2004 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what predictive modelling has been applied to the possible application of the Bovigam gamma interferon test to control bovine TB under different bovine TB scenarios in the UK, using Bovigam's known levels of specificity and sensitivity.
Answer

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what predictive modelling has been applied to the possible application of the Bovigam gamma interferon test to control bovine TB under different bovine TB scenarios in the UK, using Bovigam's known levels of specificity and sensitivity. [172564] Mr. Bradshaw: Since 1997, Defra has commissioned two studies to evaluate the costs and benefits of using the Bovigam gamma interferon test to control bovine TB under different bovine TB scenarios in Great Britain. In carrying out the two economic assessments, predictive modelling was used to determine the likely outcomes under different bovine TB scenarios. The models used values for the specificity and sensitivity of the gamma interferon test published in the scientific literature from overseas field trials. Project SE3018 investigated whether it would be cost- effective to use the gamma interferon test in herds with multiple tuberculin reactor animals. As the gamma interferon test is considered more sensitive than the skin test, its use in infected herds could improve the detection of tuberculous cattle. This would hasten the elimination of infection from herds and reduce the spread of infection among herds. However, this benefit has to be weighed against the extra cost that would result from the unnecessary slaughter of more non-tuberculous cattle due to the lower specificity of the gamma interferon test. Project TD0604 investigated whether it would be cost-effective to use the gamma interferon test to resolve the tuberculosis status of herds in which only inconclusive reactor animals are detected at a routine herd test. Final reports on these projects were submitted to Defra in April 2002 and November 1998, respectively.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
172564; 421 c1485W
Session
2003-04
Subjects
Cattle Disease control Research Testing Bovine tuberculosis
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk