Hopes of quickly detecting bovine tuberculosis in British cow herds have been raised by the revelation that the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test would now be used to a broader variety of post-mortem test samples.
The statement follows a year of testing by the UK’s Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to help in the quick identification of Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis), the bacterium that causes tuberculosis.
Beginning this week (February 14), the APHA will extend the use of PCR testing in England, Scotland, and Wales to cover acceptable post-mortem tissue samples gathered from three areas:
Cattle positive for bovine tuberculosis (bTB) include direct contacts (DCs), private or obligatory slaughter, and inconclusive reactors (IRs).
The existing technique of evaluating tissue samples, microbiological culture, will now be limited to particular PCR test-positive samples, either to enhance illness studies by getting Whole Genome Sequencing information or if a valid PCR result is not obtained.
“…a significant step”
Farmers have applauded the news. According to Tom Bradshaw, NFU deputy president, the extension of PCR testing is a crucial move that the union has long advocated. “Swift disclosure of test results will help to alleviate the intense pressure on farmers during a TB breakdown and may offer additional certainty to how that breakdown will be managed,” he went on to say.
Although microbiological culture is considered the gold standard of testing, it normally takes 6-22 weeks to receive a response, and utilizing PCR might aid in the quick resolution of a suspected tuberculosis breakdown. M. bovis should be detected more rapidly in post-mortem samples.
The strategy and methods for dealing with a TB breakdown will remain unchanged.
