Farmer-led project on badger vaccinations begins - Zoological Society of London

A new project to understand the next steps towards the eradication of a devastating cattle disease is underway, led by farmers and supported by our scientists.

Led by farmers in Cornwall, we are working with the National Farmers Union (NFU) on the three-year project, which will explore the effectiveness and practicality of scaled-up, industry delivered, badger vaccination as part of a comprehensive bovine tuberculosis (bTB) eradication strategy.

What is bovine tuberculosis?

Bovine tuberculosis is a cattle disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium bovis. As part of the government’s commitment to eradicate the disease, any cattle that test positive for it must be slaughtered, and restrictions are placed on the remaining members of the herd – impacting farmers’ livelihoods.

NFU member and livestock farmer Martin Howlett, who is taking part in the project, explained: “My farm was repeatedly hit by TB over a 15-year period. Losing cattle, even if it’s only a few each time, takes a massive toll on the family and the business, which was essentially frozen. What I remember most from that time was a constant sense of dread.”

While most bTB incidents in cattle are caused by transmission between herds, the spread of the disease between wild badgers and cattle plays a role in the persistence of the harmful disease.