Animal Plant Health Agency
Routine TB tests
If you keep cattle they must be routinely tested for bovine TB. You do not have to pay for routine TB tests.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) will write to you to explain:
- the type of test you need to arrange
- the earliest date that the test can be started and the latest date that the test must be completed
- the date that the test will become overdue
- the cattle that must be tested
- how to prepare for the test
- the organisation appointed to do the test
In most cases APHA will ask a veterinary delivery partner to appoint an authorised vet or Approved Tuberculin Tester (ATT) to carry out your test. They may appoint a government vet or an APHA animal health officer (lay tester) but this is less common.
If you would prefer someone else to do it, you can ask another suitably qualified person to carry out the test. You may have to pay for the test.
You must arrange the test with the appointed vet or other qualified person before the deadline date in the letter.
Contact APHA or talk to your vet if you have any questions about the test.
In some cases, not all the cattle in your herd will need to be tested. APHA will tell you which animals must be tested for each test.
TB tests must be undertaken by approved veterinary surgeons for export certification purposes.
ATTs are not veterinary surgeons. You cannot use TB tests undertaken by ATTs for export purposes. This includes the export of germplasm such as semen or ova.
How often your herd must have routine TB tests
You must test your cattle for TB at least:
- once every 6 months if your herd is in the High Risk Area (HRA)
- once a year or once every 6 months if your herd is in the Edge Area (EA)
- once every 4 years if your herd is in the Low Risk Area (LRA)
Cattle in lower risk herds in the 6 monthly testing areas that meet certain criteria are tested once a year.
Find out how often TB tests must be carried out in your area.
Higher risk farms and industries
In the LRA, cattle must be tested at least once a year if you:
- run a city or open farm
- run an artificial insemination centre
- produce or sell raw milk and raw milk products
- rear heifers
- keep a dealer herd
- regularly bring any cattle from Ireland on to your premises
- keep a hire bull herd or business
If youre not sure how often you must have your animals tested, contact APHA.
What happens if a test becomes overdue
A TB test becomes overdue if the test has not been completed for all eligible animals by the deadline.
If the test goes overdue:
- your herd will be placed under TB restrictions and will lose its officially TB free status
- you wont be able to move any animals on or off your premises without a licence issued by APHA youll need to contact APHA to apply for any licence
- APHA will write to you to explain what you need to do to make sure that testing is carried out
- the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) will, in most cases, impose a penalty which will reduce your scheme payments the penalty will vary according to the length of time that the test is overdue
- you may get less compensation for any animals that test positive for TB and have to be slaughtered
- the local authority may investigate and you may be prosecuted
Prepare for the test
Before the test, you must make sure that:
- you discuss with your vet the use of any necessary routine drugs in the 60 days before the test so that where possible drugs are used which have a short meat withdrawal time (the time after treatment before the meat can be used for human consumption)
- your cattle are correctly identified by their ear tags - order replacement tags as needed
- cattle movement records, including passports, are accurate and ready for inspection
- cattle veterinary medicine records are accurate and ready for inspection
- you do not include any cattle that had a TB skin test in the 60 days before the planned test date. Have the evidence of their last test ready for inspection
- you have suitable testing and handling facilities
- you have enough staff to move cattle into handling facilities quickly and safely
An inspector may cancel the test on the day if they decide you have not prepared for it or its not safe to go ahead. Youre still responsible for making sure your cattle are safely tested on time.
You should avoid giving routine veterinary medicines like wormers or vaccines once the test has started and until the test has been completed for each individual animal.
Make sure your facilities are suitable
Your testing and handling facilities must:
- allow safe movement of cattle
- include a suitable handling system (such as a crush and penning system linked by a secure race)
- make it easy for inspectors to restrain and examine cattle, clip their hair, measure their skin thickness with callipers, and give them injections
- be in good working order
- be suitable for the size and breed of cattle that have to be tested
- be well-lit so inspectors can read ear tags and carry out the test
TB breakdown
APHA will declare a TB breakdown and your herd will lose its TB free status if:
- one or more of your animals fails a TB test - this animal is a reactor
- they find PCR (or culture)-positive lesions of TB during a routine post-mortem meat inspection of an animal that you sent for slaughter
If there is a TB breakdown in your herd, APHA will tell you what extra testing is necessary and when to complete it. You will not have to pay for this testing, but its your responsibility to arrange for tests within the prescribed time.
APHA will tell your local authority if you fail to complete any test by the deadline date. The local authority is responsible for taking enforcement action required by APHA inspectors to control TB in your herd.
Officially TB free status
APHA considers your herd to have officially TB free status if:
- youre up to date with your routine TB testing
- they have no reason to suspect TB infection is present in your cattle
When officially TB free status is lost
Your herds TB free status will be lost if:
- at least one animal has failed the TB skin test (so is a reactor animal)
- at least one animal has given a positive result on a private interferon gamma blood test (these are also referred to as reactor animals throughout this guidance)
- at least one animal has 2 consecutive inconclusive skin test results
- the slaughterhouse, knackers yard or hunt kennel that you sent cattle to reports lesions typical of TB in the carcass or organs of one of those animals
- a TB test in your herd becomes overdue
- one of your animals shows possible clinical signs of TB and needs to be slaughtered before testing then lesions typical of TB are found in the carcass
If at least one animal has had an inconclusive skin test result, its an inconclusive reactor and your herds TB free status is lost. Depending on the herds TB history in the previous 3 years:
- officially TB free status may be reinstated
- movement restrictions may be limited to the inconclusive reactor only while waiting for it to be retested
What happens when officially TB free status is lost
When your herds officially TB free status is lost APHA will: