Sibley’s trial, at a secret location, was halted earlier this year when two new tests to better identify bTB in cattle were deemed illegal.
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In 2015, 16% of English bTB “breakdowns” were only detected in abattoirs, after supposedly healthy cows had been slaughtered.
The phage test, developed by microbiologist Cath Rees of Nottingham University, uses a bTB-invading virus to “hunt” for the live bacterium.
For this, Sibley uses a second test, qPCR, developed by Liz Wellington, life sciences professor at Warwick University.
Cattle TB has risen steadily since the 1980s and cost £500m in compensation to farmers in the decade up to 2013.
No data has been published on the impact of four years of badger culling on cattle TB, but many scientists question the cull’s effectiveness. »