Ireland’s TB
Eradication
Policy

Margaret Good SSVI
Topics
 History

Programme
Recap (where we’ve been)
 Current
programme (where we
are)
 Future (where we are going)
Recap





Programme commenced 1950
Herd and individual animal identification since
then
Initial good progress before ‘stall’
Many reviews essentially all expressing
incredulity that the programme that worked
elsewhere in Europe wasn’t working in Ireland –
the recommendations reflected the belief that it
must be that something involving the tuberculin
test itself wasn’t being done right!!
ERAD - established
LESSONS LEARNED
by ERAD & Conclusions

All Programme Elements recommended by any ‘experts’
have been tried and evaluated over the past eighteen
years – and



many retained as cost effective control measures
Others have been quietly allowed to lapse
Measures determined ineffective will not be re-incorporated unless
the situation changes

Most current Programme Elements have been optimised

The requirement for a Lab based screening test is
primarily socio-economic (not now seen as a constraint to
eradication)

Wildlife resevoir recognised as the primary remaining
constraint to progress
Constraint to Progress

Primarily it would appear that the existence of
an infected wildlife source in which infection
with M. bovis is endemic and which share the
environment with cattle is the main constraint
to sustainable progress.
6
5
Evidenced by EOP
and confirmed by
4-area study

APT
4
Offaly
Four Area
3
2
1
0
0
1
2
3
Year
4
5
6
Realistic Expectations
ERAD ‘End of Term Review’ of Percieved Constraints
1.
Need for Comprehensive Computer
Movement Control System √ √ CMMS
However little or no apparent effect on disease control (tracing faster)
2.
Need for Lab based Diagnostic Test √ γ- IFN
No change in primary use of Field Screening Test
SICTT shown to work very effectively where wildlife removed and R
factor reduced below 1
3.
Need for Vaccine to address the Wildlife
Problem -> considerable investment
Substantive Progress being made
• R&D
Irelands Strategy
• Address the Wildlife Constraint
• Improve efficacy of Bovine TB Eradication
• Operate lowest cost interim effective strategy
consistent with the goal of Eradication
• Use improved tools as they become available
& thereby
• Accelerate the Eradication Programme
Badger Vaccination Strategy
• the development of a vaccine
for use in badgers is a long
term control measure aimed at
the protection of badgers in
known areas of high risk in
which other control measures
are also in place
 the primary aim of a strategic
vaccination programme is to limit
the severity of tuberculosis in
badgers so exposed so as to
reduce the risk of infectivity for
other animals, viz. badgers,
deer and cattle
Tuberculosis in Cattle – outbreak investigation
ERAD TB Research

Wildlife

Contribution assessment






Blood testing – gIFN, ELISA, LPA, other√√
Strain typing √√
Tuberculin Potency & Comparison Trials√√√√
Epidemiology/Data Analysis


Vaccine Development Project √√√
Badger Population and ecology studies√√√
Diagnostic


EOP & 4-Area study √√√√√
CVERA√√√√
Other


Genetics√
TB in other species Deer, Alpaca, Sheep√√
Routine Programme elements
Disease Detection –



Annual Test – SICCT all herds & all animals
Slaughter checks – under DAF control
Tracing



Backward to identify source of infection &
detect ‘Bought-in’ reactors
Onward to identify other risk herds
Identified risk animals moved from infected
herds
Extra Diagnostics = IFN-γ Assay, AnELISA
‘Quarantine’
Confine & Remove
Restriction of herd
 Isolation and removal
of identified risk
animals
 Removal coordinated and
arranged by DAF
 Cleanse & Disinfect,
as appropriate

‘Treatment’ of ‘infected’ herd
Testing programme – including
supplementary tests as necessary
 Epidemiological investigation, as appropriate
 Advice to Keeper – Animal Health and
Public Health
 Compensation – individual animal ceiling
 Seek to establish source(s) of infection &
Wildlife Investigation if implicated
 Return to trade only in compliance with
Directive

Investigate close contact
risk herds
Targeted risk-based testing
for

Contiguous herd

Associated herds
Tuberculosis in Cattle – Geographic Distribution
In the years 1998 - 2000 ,
~ 66% of reactors were disclosed in
herds in
~ 30% of the agricultural land
WU Task = where badgers are
confirmed as possibly a factor the
local density will be reduced subject
to two important constraints.
There is likely to be a higher cull in
the 30% of the country where TB is
consistently recurring in the cattle
herds, than in the remaining 70% of
the country (targeted intervention
policy)
A minimum of 70% of the Jan 2004
estimated of the national population
of badgers will be retained.
Implement system of QC on
various aspects of programme
Computerisation
 Data Collection
 Tuberculin
 Test systems/procedures
 Operatives
 Identity & database (Tags/CMMS)

Programme Evaluation


Programme effectiveness
Programme delivery/efficiency

Doing the ‘right’ things







Doing things ‘right’


Are our original objectives still valid?
Is there any new/additional knowledge?
Are there new/additional tools?
Are all the actions/activities still necessary – cost/benefit?
Can we achieve objectives in more efficient/effective ways?
Is what we are doing going to deliver on our goals in the most
efficient manner?
Carrying out all determined functions in most efficient way?
Value for Money Audit
Improved Tools

Using GIS technology to focus resources
according to risk

Using computer technology and linking
databases to manage programme
efficiently and gather data for further
studies.