How is bovine TB spread?

How is bovine TB spread?

Here's an important message for farmers from OSPRI. As usual, we'll get straight into it.

Okay - we all know bovine TB is an infectious disease. Infected possums come out of the bush and onto the farms to cark it and then cattle and deer catch TB when they get up close to see what the fuss is about. And once an animal in your herd is infected, TB can spread quickly to other animals and to other herds. TB spreads between cattle or deer when they're packed closely together like around milking sheds or around feeders. If it's not spotted early, one crook animal can get carted off to another farm anywhere in the country and infect the whole herd.

While the TBFree programme works to get rid of TB and keep it clear of our herds, NAIT tracks animal movements around the country. NAIT helps track the spread of diseases like TB and finds the source of the infection before it takes off. These programmes work side by side to give TB the boot. When you use NAIT, you're helping to protect your animals and our livelihood.

Need a hand with NAIT or TBFree? Give OSPRI a shout on 0800 482 463.