Private blood testing
In England only, the IDEXX antibody test is also available for private use at the keeper’s expense, however prior permission from APHA must be obtained by the private vet. Before IDEXX testing is deployed, the herd (or management group) must have undergone gamma testing if required under current Defra policy.
All privately-funded IDEXX test results must be shared with APHA and any test-positive animals must be slaughtered before movement restrictions can be lifted at the end of the breakdown. Compensation is not paid for any test-positive animals where the test was privately-funded, and the removal and slaughter costs are the responsibility of the keeper.
Non-approved tests (e.g. the Enferplex TB test) and non-validated tests can be used in England under Defra’s protocol for exceptional private use, available on the APHA Vet Gateway. Farmers considering additional, voluntary TB testing of their animals should discuss the available options with their private vet and APHA.