TB Biosecurity
Why does TB eradication matter?
Our aim is to eradicate TB in cattle in Northern Ireland. We have a comprehensive Eradication Programme in place. The Programme helps protect human and animal health and crucially underpins our meat and dairy export trade which is a vital part of our local
economy.
Why does TB biosecurity matter?
Good biosecurity can help you keep TB out of your herd.
TB is a complex disease and in order to progress towards eradication we must all play our part. Steps taken at farm level are crucial to the success of the TB Programme and will help protect your herd from TB. Many of the recommended measures are relatively simple and inexpensive so can be easily implemented on your farm. Crucially ensuring you have good biosecurity protocols in place will also help protect your herd from productivity loss from many other diseases.
This leaflet is intended to provide a brief summary of the most likely ways TB infection can enter a herd and provide a starting point for you in considering how these risks can be reduced.
Not all the recommended measures will be practical or possible on all farms but remember anything you can do to reduce the risk is better than doing nothing.
There are 5 main ways TB can get into your herd
- By buying in cattle from other herds
- By contact with cattle from neighbouring herds
- Via infected wildlife (badgers or deer)
- By bringing in slurry or farmyard manure from other farms
- Indirectly via people or equipment