final report - ARCHIVE: Defra

1 INTRODUCTION
Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) remains a major threat to the dairy and beef industries in the UK as well as to the
wellbeing of the livestock and wild animals that may become infected. The threat to human health remains
effectively contained by the measures controlling the sale of milk and its pasteurization.
In 2007, over 25,000 cattle were slaughtered following positive diagnostic tests. This contrasts with just over
5,000 in 1997, the year in which the independent scientific review group, commissioned by Defra’s forerunner
MAFF, published the report (Krebs et al., 1997) that led to the Randomized Badger Culling Trial (RBCT).
Notwithstanding the insights gained from the RBCT, it is clear that the need for greater understanding and
better control of bTB is urgent.
Ten years after publication of the Krebs Report, Defra has approached the Society for General Microbiology
(SGM) with a view to assessing the current status of research relevant to the problem of bTB in the UK.
The SGM (http//:www.sgm.ac.uk) is the largest learned society for microbiology in Europe and encompasses
all subspecialties including veterinary and medical microbiology (see Appendix 3 for further information).
Following assurances regarding the independent nature of our enquiries and the published report, the SGM
Council convened a group of eight experts covering a range of relevant specialties. Our work has specifically
been directed towards assessing relevant research and offering our opinion on the most advantageous areas for
future investment with the best prospects for translation into improved disease control.
The Krebs Report led to the establishment of the Independent Scientific Group (ISG) that designed,
implemented and analysed the RBCT. The ISG final report was published in June 2007 (Bourne, 2007); soon
after, the Chief Scientific Advisor to the UK Government published a separate consideration of the RBCT
conclusions (King, 2007). Apparent discrepancies between these two analyses of the RBCT led to much public
debate concerning the best policy for bTB control. The House of Commons Committee on Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs then published its review of the ISG’s report (EFRA Committee, 2008). These three reports
sit amongst a plethora of public discussions and publications debating policy.
Our remit is not directly concerned with policy but rather with the acquisition of knowledge and insight that
may inform policy. We are a group of active researchers in fields broadly relevant to bTB. We have applied our
expertise to published work, documents provided by Defra and discussions with a number of Defra-funded
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