OK, so we've got a locked down farm; what next?
Well while the epidemiologists do their work to find out how this farm got bTB, a complete survey of the farm should be carried out by someone who knows what they are doing. By someone who knows what they are doing, I mean someone with practical knowledge and skills, not a university graduate looking for a short term job in the open air (I'll explain that one another time).
The survey should look at all wildlife likely to be a vector of the disease; deer, feral cats, rats, and of course, badgers.
As soon as that has been done, efforts must be carried out to prevent further infection. That may include controlling rats, fencing off badger latrines and controlling feral cats.
What is most important is that some badgers are trapped and euthanized to test them for bTB. If those test results come back positive, then every badger that sets foot on the farm must be removed. Removal methods should be comprehensive and include cage trapping and night shooting. Finally, gassing and set closure should be carried out. Gassing can be carried out using Sodium Cyanide applied using a motorised pump (a derogation from the Biocides Directive would be required, as shown by the Czech Republic) and resurveys should be carried out at monthly intervals.
What if the badgers don't test positive for bTB?
Wait for it..............
Vaccinate them.
More to follow.
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Matt'; Having read Part One and 'Subscribed By Email', I now see that only subscribed me to be alerted to further Comments on that post.
ReplyDeleteCould ye possibly dig around in ye Admin' offerings and hook out the code for the " Subscribe By Email " box which allows us to Subscribe to the whole Blog?
That way, I click it and feed it my addy. Then I get an email alert the moment ye post anything on the Blog.
Iy's cool. Saves me diving in here on the off chance. Or going into my own Blogs Admin' page. God knows, I go There little enough as it is. Without having to visit other, more occasional, Bloggers sites.
Should've previewed that. " Iy's Cool ". Made myself sound like a f**king Mexican!
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