England is set to be free of bovine TB by 2038, under a long-term strategy formally adopted by Andy Burnham's government on Thursday (November 5). The approach includes developing vaccines for cattle and badgers, mandatory blood tests, more robust wildlife surveillance and greater test choice.
Disease burden and falling breakdowns
Bovine TB, caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis), is one of the most significant challenges facing animal health in the UK. The bacterium is closely related to the one that causes human and avian tuberculosis. TB is mainly a respiratory disease, with transmission occurring through nose-to-nose contact and contact with saliva, urine, faeces and milk. Cattle can become infected when directly exposed to infectious cattle or other infectious animals.
The disease continues to impose a heavy emotional and financial burden on farming families, disrupt rural businesses and kill thousands of cattle every year. However, herds losing TB-free status in England fell by a fifth over the past year, and the number of new TB herd breakdowns also dropped by a fifth compared with the previous 12 months. 2026 marks the first year in more than a decade in which no badgers were culled as part of disease control efforts.
Strategy details and vaccination rollout
Farmers, vets and scientists helped develop the strategy, which was originally published in June and will now be formally taken forward by the government. It sets out a clear direction of travel as the long-term plan to tackle bovine TB in England.
Biosecurity Minister Baroness Hayman said: “Bovine TB has devastated our farming communities, causing heartbreaking losses, uncertainty and financial hardship. No farmer should have to accept this disease as an unavoidable part of their livelihood.”
She added: “Our comprehensive strategy will ensure the continuation of the end to badger culling, and prevent the spread of this horrific disease.”
The strategy continues the development of a deployable cattle vaccine alongside a new skin test to detect infected animals from vaccinated animals (DIVA), with a goal to deploy cattle vaccination by 2030. Government-funded mandatory blood testing and piloting of additional privately funded testing to help detect infection will be expanded.
Badger vaccination will be rolled out in priority areas through the newly contracted Badger Vaccination Field Force, and dead badgers will be collected and tested to improve understanding of the disease.
New oversight board
The existing Bovine TB Partnership for England will be replaced by a new industry-government board, expected to be established next year. This board will consider and endorse the first delivery plan, setting out the priority actions needed to tackle the disease and how they will be implemented.
