The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) announced on Monday 6 February that field trials for the bovine tuberculosis (bTB) cattle vaccination and new skin test to detect infected among vaccinated animals (DIVA) have moved to the next phase.
In July 2021, APHA began Phase 1 of the field trials in England, which focussed on the safety and specificity of the DIVA skin test in unvaccinated animals.
Phase 1 was completed in May 2022 on 10 farms with 524 participating animals. The analysis of the results is in progress.
Phase 2 of the bTB vaccination trials will assess the safety of the CattleBCG vaccine, and the safety and specificity of the DIVA skin test in vaccinated cattle.
Phase 2 started on a farm in Kent in January 2022, with a second farm recruited in Essex in February 2022. Further farms are expected to join, and the trials are due to be completed in 2023.
This phase will involve at least five farms with a minimum of 600 animals participating. Half the animals will be vaccinated with CattleBCG, while the remaining half will receive a placebo. The vaccinated cattle will then receive the DIVA skin test.
Once Phase 2 is completed, APHA will use the information from the trials to support applications for marketing authorisations from the Veterinary Medicines Directorate.
It is hoped that the combination of CattleBCG vaccine and the DIVA skin test will be deployable in the next few years, adding significant tools to those currently available.
The contract research organisation (CRO), Eville & Jones Ltd is seeking to work with interested farmers and veterinary practices to support the next phase of the bTB vaccination field trials on suitable farms that meet the inclusion criteria.
The inclusion criteria are as follows:
- Officially TB free (OTF) herds in the low risk area (LRA) of England or the low TB area (LTBA) of Wales
- Herds that have been in existence for eight years or more
- A minimum of three continuous years free from TB (OTF status) with a routine single intradermal comparative cervical test (SICCT) having been completed within three calendar years of day -7
- Not in a current radial or contiguous TB testing regime
- Not in an active TB hotspot (as defined by APHA)
- Not having purchased cattle from a higher TB risk area in the last 12 months (of Day -7)
- No scheduled statutory TB test during the proposed study period (Day -7 to Day 91)
If you are aware of any farms which are interested in taking part in this research bTB vaccination project and believe they meet the inclusion criteria, please contact Dr Lindsay Heasman by emailing Lindsay Heasman.
Further information is available on the TB Hub.
