Bovine tuberculosis should be treated with similar urgency seen during the Covid-19 pandemic if it is to be eradicated by the target year of 2038, scientists say.
The disease, which devastates farm businesses by spreading from badgers to cattle, and from cow to cow, has been back in the spotlight in recent weeks after TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson reported cases on his farm in Oxfordshire.
Efforts to control the disease cost taxpayers an estimated £100 million a year, while hundreds of thousands of badgers and cows have been compulsorily slaughtered to stem its spread, prompting fierce criticism from wildlife campaigners.
It came as they published an updated report on England’s bovine TB strategy at the request of the government, which aims to eradicate the disease by 2038.
While there has been significant progress in terms of scientific advances and TB prevalence in national herds, the scientists said more urgency, money and political consensus are necessary to meet the target.
Professor Sir Charles Godfray, from the University of Oxford, who worked on the report, said: “We think achieving the bovine TB-free status by that time is possible, but it is going to be tough.
“We need a step change… in the urgency in which we treat this disease, and the resources devoted to eradication.”
Sir Charles said that while there is no close parallel between bovine TB and Covid-19, he cited the “real concentration” and expedited progress demonstrated during the pandemic.
“We want something equivalent of that for this disease, which costs the taxpayer £100 million a year in England, costs the farming community about the same, and has real effects on farmers’ livelihoods and mental health, as well as being a real issue for the wildlife reservoir,” he said.
Badger culling has long been a part of the government’s response to bovine TB despite strong opposition from animal welfare and wildlife groups, including Queen guitarist Sir Brian May.
Earlier this year, ministers announced a commitment to end the practice before the next election.
The scientists said it is possible to meet the 2038 target without culling badgers but considerable effort and resources will need to go towards other non-lethal measures, such as badger vaccinations and biosecurity measures.
They also called for more speed in processing an application for a licence to use a newly developed vaccination on cattle.
Professor James Wood, of the Department of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Cambridge, who also worked on the report, said: “This is a very exciting advance but we feel a greater urgency could be applied here.”
More widely, the scientists said the government should provide a “reasonable amount” of funding to tackle the disease, including investment into IT infrastructure, vaccinations and tests.
Sir Charles said that while the team is “fully aware of the great pressures on public finances” at the moment, they believed investment in bovine TB control will save money in the future.
The group did not recommend a specific figure for the Treasury but have endorsed a National Audit Office report that said the Environment Department (Defra) should carry out a cost-benefit analysis on investing in animal disease resilience.
Elsewhere, the scientists said the government should appoint a senior official to lead the eradication strategy in a more visible and public-facing role, who can “field questions” and “knock heads together”.
While many in the industry would prefer to lead the response to the disease with little intervention from the government, the team argued that it must be co-owned with the government and other stakeholders as they stressed the importance of bridging political divisions over tackling the issue.
“We think it’s absolutely essential that the disease control is co-owned by all the stakeholders involved – so government, industry, but also the wildlife NGOs – the people who care so much about the wildlife reservoir,” Sir Charles said.
“We do not underestimate the challenges and the long-held positions and interests that are involved by the different partners, but we are calling for leadership and the willingness to move beyond long-held positions by all the different stakeholders involved.
The scientists called for a more “evidence-led approach” to help reach a consensus, with Sir Charles saying positions of denying badgers can be a source of infection, or arguing that badgers are completely responsible, are “unhelpful”.
“It will require movement and leadership from the different stakeholders concerned,” he said.
“I really think it does need to happen if we want to get to elimination by 2038.”
Farming minister Daniel Zeichner said: “The government is determined to eradicate bovine TB – a devastating disease that destroys too many farmers’ livelihoods and has led to the culling of thousands of badgers.
“Following a record year for badger vaccination in 2024, a new Badger Vaccinator Field Force will be deployed next year. We are also developing a cattle vaccine and, along with the Scottish and Welsh governments, have invested over £40m into vaccine related research.
“Early next year, we plan to publish a comprehensive new strategy that will set out how we will eradicate this disease by 2038.
“We know this will be challenging, and Sir Charles Godfray’s independent report will be key to informing the future strategy. We will now consider the report’s findings.”
