Vets apply behavioural science to tackle bovine TB in new report

Vets apply behavioural science to tackle bovine TB in new report - British Veterinary Association

Our new bovine TB policy brings together veterinary expertise and applies new and emerging scientific evidence to set out a holistic roadmap for the control and eradication of this devastating disease

We have set out a comprehensive approach to tackling bovine tuberculosis (bTB) across the UK, drawing on behavioural science and proposing 35 wide-ranging recommendations.

Our new bTB policy position, launched today, brings together veterinary expertise in cattle and wildlife and applies new and emerging evidence to set out a holistic roadmap to guide the efforts of vets, farmers, and government in bTB control and eradication. At the heart of the new policy is the application of behavioural science, recognising that the actions of vets and farmers are key to successful disease control programmes.

Some of the policy’s key recommendations include:

Setting up a framework for earned recognition to reward good biosecurity
Enhancing data sharing to support knowledge-based livestock trading and good decision-making on farm
Securing long-term funding for dedicated bTB advisory services
Simplifying and prioritising research priorities
Introducing systems to allow greater data sharing between government vets and private vets
Ensuring continued cooperation and collaboration on bTB between the four UK governments after Brexit

A supplementary paper also assesses the short, medium and longer-term impacts of Covid-19 on bTB control and recommends steps to ensure that veterinary surveillance and controls continue across all species, with appropriate social distancing measures, to avoid undetected spread of disease.