By Anna Burdett Farming and rural affairs editor

Last updated at 15:05, Friday, 26 October 2012

A family tormented by bovine TB for more than 18 months hopes to be finally free of the disease.

John Threlfell and son Richard

More than 120 valuable pedigree cattle have been slaughtered since bovine TB was discovered in the Threlfell family’s dairy herd at Plumpton Head, near Penrith, in March 2011.

This month the herd tested clear for the disease, 20 months after an initial diagnosis that struck fear into the agricultural community.

It was the largest outbreak seen in the county and mystery still surrounds how the infection got into a closed dairy herd where no animals were bought in from outside.

Mr Threlfell, who has caught the disease from his cattle, said: “We had an all-clear test this month. We have to wait for another clear test 60 days later and then we can start trading our cattle again. We should get the next test in before Christmas.

“We had a clear test in May but there was a reactor (positive skin test) in August.”

It has cost the business at least £250,000 in lost animals and milk yields and left the family emotionally scarred.

News of the clear test came as the government postponed its controversial plans for a badger cull in the south west as part of efforts to control the spread of bovine TB.

The disease is most prevalent in Somerset and Gloucester where it is endemic in the wild badger population.

Two badger cull pilot schemes were this week delayed until next summer because more badgers than anticipated were found in the target areas. Seventy per cent of badgers need to be culled for it to be effective and farmers were not confident of achieving this.

There are relatively few cases reported in Cumbria each year and according to Defra’s latest figures, there were 93 reactors found in 2010 following tests on 1,129 farms.

In the last few weeks, a reactor was found on a beef farm near Longtown. One animal, thought to have been brought from Scotland, was put down but the rest of the farm has tested clear.

From January 1, changes will be made to testing regimes and movement restrictions to step up efforts to control the disease.

Mr Threlfell welcomed the changes. “Before the changes, cattle dealers could move cattle from an infected herd onto a holding and move them again in 30 days without testing,” he said. “It has closed a loophole and stops infected cattle being moved into Cumbria.”

First published at 15:01, Friday, 26 October 2012
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk