Australia’s 27-year push to bovine TB freedom

Australia launched a national campaign aimed at achieving recognised freedom from bovine TB and brucellosis in 1970, as concerns grew that the disease could threaten access to beef markets overseas.

Recognition for TB freedom just 27 years later, despite the challenges faced in grappling with the disease in thousands of herds spread over immense distances, in management systems with little routine handling of cattle.

In the early years of Australia’s TB eradication efforts, the majority of infected cattle were found post-slaughter during inspection for lesions.

Skin testing was deployed at regular intervals and just reactors were removed initially; with removal efforts later focused on groups of cattle which were in contact with infected animals – deemed to be possible sources of re-emergence.

Compensation was provided for reactors and vets were encouraged to “test hard” by selecting inconclusive skin tests for removal.

These groups were often large in size and the depopulation of entire herds was an approach taken in the final years of the campaign as disease prevalence decreased.

Unlike Ireland with badgers and deer, the only wild TB vector in Australia is the water buffalo. Cattle breaking off from herds during gathering may become effectively wild and these also posed a risk of reintroducing the disease to TB-free herds.

In some of the most remote regions where TB persisted, aircrafts were used to find feral cattle and buffalo which may have been harbouring the disease on destocked lands, to remove these animals before restocking took place.

Farm-specific TB plans were put in place to cater for individual circumstances in these cases and these plans also put work into the back-tracing of reactors’ previous contact with other cattle groups on the farm.

Risk-based trading

Risk-based trading was introduced – assigning risks based on factors including testing history, to reduce the potential of TB being re-introduced. These rules got more onerous as the eradication programme progressed.

The tightest movement restrictions were placed on breeding cattle and the loosest on weanlings or stores destined for finishing.

Inspections for TB lesions on cattle after slaughter continued after the country had received TB freedom. The entire cost of Australia’s campaign is estimated at AU$1bn (€603m).