The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) began the first phase of trials into the performance and safety of a new Detecting Infected among Vaccinated Animals (DIVA) skin test to detect bTB in unvaccinated livestock in 2021. The results of phase one are currently being analysed.
Phase two consists of an active field trial that will assess the safety of the CattleBCG vaccine and the safety and performance of the DIVA skin test when applied to vaccinated cattle. If this phase of testing is successful, the UK could come one step closer to safely and successfully vaccinating cattle against bTB.
Farmers are being invited to take part in the tests, subject to their farms meeting inclusion criteria. The trials are expected to be completed before the end of the year.
Anyone interested in participating and who meet the following criteria are asked to email
The inclusion criteria:
- Officially TB Free (OTF) herds in the Low Risk Area (LRA) of England or the Low TB Area (LTBA) of Wales
- Herds that have been in existence for eight years or more
- A minimum of three continuous years free from TB (OTF status) with a routine Single Intradermal Comparative Cervical Tuberculin (SICCT) test having been completed within three calendar years of Day -7
- Not in a current radial or contiguous TB testing regime
- Not in an active TB hotspot (as defined by APHA)
- Not having purchased cattle from a higher TB risk area in the last 12 months (of Day -7)
- No scheduled statutory TB test during the proposed study period (Day -7 to Day 91)