DNA study will reveal badgers’ role in spreading Bovine TB

Researchers are embarking on a £1m study to establish the extent to which badgers are responsible for spreading tuberculosis in cattle. By using a combination of DNA sequencing and mathematical modeling, researchers at the University of Glasgow hope the results will inform effective and scientifically-guided policies for curbing bovine TB. Bovine TB is the most prominent disease of livestock in Britain and Ireland and is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium bovis. Several measures exist for controlling the disease, most controversially badger culling. This strategy relies on the notion that badgers make the biggest contribution to the persistence and transmission of the disease. However, the evidence is incomplete - for example, it is not known precisely how the bacterium spreads between animals. In order to identify the best strategy for controlling disease the science on which intervention policies are based needs to be refined.