Scientists in genetic bid to cut TB in cows

SCIENTISTS are genetic profiling thousands of cows in a bid to breed cattle herds which are more resistant to tuberculosis.

The disease is a major problem for dairy and beef farmers in some parts of the country, and efforts to curb TB in cattle include the controversial badger cull, as the wild animals can spread infection to farm livestock.

Experts say trying to make cattle more naturally resistant to TB will help farmers breed animals less likely to catch and pass on the disease.

The mass-profiling project by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), partnering with Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), is one of two schemes by the organisations on genetic resistance to TB in cattle. It builds on AHDB research which identified significant genetic variations between resistant and non-resistant individual animals.

Although no cattle have complete resistance to TB, and a large proportion of the problem will remain from infection through the environment, breeding better inherited resistance into herds could make a “significant contribution”, Marco Winters, head of animal genetics for AHDB Dairy, said.

“Some people regularly get the flu and others go through the winter and never get problems. You see the same thing with cattle. There’s a genetic element, and we know from other traits with a similar level of heritability, it can make an improvement.”

He added it was “part of the solution” but TB is such a “devastating disease”, anything farmers can do to ease the situation would have an impact.