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Herd Restrictions and TB control in Ireland
Journal
Preventive Veterinary Medicine
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Vol
35, Iss2 , 1 May 1998, pp79-90
Authors
D. Ó Máirtín, D. H. Williams, L. Dolan, J. A. Eves and
J. D. Collins from the Central Statistics Office, Ireland,
the District Veterinary Offices, Ireland and University College Dublin.
Abstract
The influence of selected herd factors and a badger-intervention
tuberculosis-control programme on the risk of a herd-level trade restriction to
a bovine population in Ireland.
The risk of a trade restriction to cattle herds between 1990–1994, as a
result of failing the tuberculin skin test or disclosure of visible lesions in
the abattoir, was compared in two areas in East Offaly, Ireland. Cattle herds
from the Project area where badgers were systematically removed over a 7-year
period (1989–1995) were compared to herds from a Control area where no
wildlife-intervention programme had taken place. A Cox proportional hazard model
indicated, for example, that the risk of a herd-level trade restriction to herds
with 30 animals in the Control area was 1.4 times the risk to similar-sized
herds in the Project area. The study provides evidence that a badger-control
programme is effective in reducing the risk of a trade restriction to cattle
herds as the badger represents an important reservoir of Mycobacterium bovis
infection for cattle.
Keywords
Badger; Survival analysis; Mycobacterium bovis;
Tuberculosis; Ireland
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