Bovine TB Partnership meetings

The bovine TB (bTB) Partnership was formed in 2021 and held its first meeting on 11 February. The Terms of Reference set out the bTB Partnership’s objectives and ways of working, including who attends and chairs meetings and how often they meet.

In line with government guidance, the bTB Partnership initially met online on a monthly basis during the COVID-19 pandemic. From July 2021, meetings became bi-monthly, and hybrid (in-person and virtual) meetings started in September 2021. BTB Partnership meetings follow a standard agenda which includes standing items and substantive items which vary at each meeting.

Agenda

  • Introduction (apologies declarations of interest)
  • Minutes of the last meeting and actions
  • Defra bTB policy update and discussion
  • Substantive agenda items (vary at each meeting)
  • Conclusions and any other business
  • Date and location of next meeting

Meeting summaries

A list of items discussed at each bTB Partnership meeting is outlined below.

2021

  • Introductions
  • Lord Gardiner address to the bTB Partnership
  • Overview from the Director of Defra Animal & Plant Health & Welfare
  • Current disease epidemiology
  • Defra bTB policy overview and ways of working
  • bTB Partnership priorities and work planning for 2021
  • Communications plan
  • Interactive session on key terms and concepts
  • bTB Partnership ways of working
  • bTB work planning priorities
  • Communications plan
  • Defra bTB Programme finance overview
  • Draft five-year bTB plan for England
  • Defra public consultation on proposals to help eradicate bTB in England – summary of responses and next steps
  • bTB Partnership work planning next steps
  • Livestock Information Service and Knowledge Based Trading project – discussion and next steps
  • Evaluation of the TB Advisory Service (TBAS) 2017 – 2021
  • Update on progress of phase 1 bTB Partnership task & finish groups – 1) badger vaccination evidence, 2) sensitivity of TB testing, 3) communications
  • Update on progress of bTB Partnership task & finish groups – 1) badger vaccination evidence, 2) sensitivity of TB testing, 3) communications
  • Work planning – prioritisation and pipeline of task & finish groups
  • Badger vaccination roadmap
  • Team charter and ways of working
  • Update on progress of bTB Partnership task & finish groups 1) badger vaccination evidence, 2) sensitivity of TB testing, 3) communications
  • Forward look and work planning update
  • Overview of the Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA) National bTB Epidemiology Team
  • Regional bTB epidemiology update – South East Edge and Low Risk Area
  • Knowledge based trading minimum viable product
  • Management of calves in relation to bTB controls
  • Draft badger vaccination roadmap
  • Lord Benyon address to the bTB Partnership
  • Findings of the bTB Partnership task & finish Groups and next steps – 1) badger vaccination evidence, 2) sensitivity of TB testing, 3) communications
  • Discussion on plans and timing for next bTB Partnership task & finish groups
  • Introduction to the Animal Health & Welfare Pathway

2022

  • Defra bTB Programme Research & Development overview
  • Summary of the findings from Defra-funded research project on detection of bovine TB infectivity in slurry and manure
  • Badger vaccination evidence bTB Partnership task & finish group final report and recommendations 
  • Discussion on phase 2 bTB Partnership task & finish groups
  • A farmer’s story – personal experience of a member’s experience of bTB on their farm
  • Regional bTB epidemiology update – South West High Risk Area
  • Whole genome sequencing
  • bTB Partnership phase 2 task & finish groups updates – 1) badger vaccination incentives, 2) epidemiologically-led badger culling
  • Future bTB control in wildlife policy
  • Review of Defra’s five-year bTB programme plan
  • Compensation and cost-sharing measures
  • Overview of Defra response to bTB Partnership task & finish groups’ recommendations to date
  • bTB Partnership task & finish group final reports and recommendations – 1) badger vaccination incentives, 2) epidemiologically-led badger culling
  • Update on future bTB control in wildlife policy
  • TB Advisory Service (TBAS) final report 2017 – 2021
  • Reflections from the 7th International M. bovis Conference in Galway, Ireland 7-10 June 2022
  • East Cumbria Low Risk Area TB hotspot 
  • bTB Partnership phase 3 task & finish group updates – 1) information sharing and data flow, 2) Improving sensitivity of TB testing in breakdown herds
  • Knowledge based trading – herd risk scores
  • Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA) bTB delivery update   
  • Regional bTB epidemiology update – Northern and Southern Edge Area 
  • bTB Partnership secretariat update – TB hub pages, logo and survey feedback 
  • bTB Partnership information sharing and data flow task & finish group final report 
  • bTB Partnership improving sensitivity of TB testing in breakdown herds task and finish group update 
  • Introduction to the bTB interactive statistics dashboard
  • bTB compliance and enforcement update
  • bTB Partnership improving sensitivity of TB testing in breakdown herds task and finish group final report
  • Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA) bTB delivery update
  • Overview of the field trials for a cattle TB vaccine and companion DIVA test
  • Social research to understand farmers’ attitudes to cattle TB vaccination​

2023

  • Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA) bTB delivery update   
  • Farming Community Network (FCN) presentation on their work supporting the farming community, for which Defra provides grant funding 
  • Update on the British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA) Advanced bTB vet training pilot funded by Defra 
  • Members discussed the decision by the British Veterinary Association (BVA) to maintain their current position on the bTB control strategy following an internal review 
  • BVA, BCVA and NFU presented their key questions on the cattle TB vaccination project 
  • Update on the work of the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway  
  • Members discussed the work programme of the bTB Partnership for 2023 
  • Policy and delivery updates provided by Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) 
  • Members discussed the findings of the recent annual review of the bTB Partnership and feedback from individual member reviews 
  • Members contributed to an interactive session exploring critical factors and values for effective partnership working to further develop the Code of Conduct for the bTB Partnership 
  • Defra provided an overview of a future TB control in wildlife policy proposal and timeline towards potential public consultation 
  • APHA provided an update on bTB epidemiology in the Northern Low Risk Area of England 
  • Members explored further options for co-governance of bTB eradication 
  • Lord Benyon joined the meeting to discuss the TB eradication strategy and thank bTB Partnership members for their contributions 
  • Members received a presentation on the TB Advisory Service annual report which included analysis of the on-farm outcomes of this work 
  • The Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA) presented proposals for interim bTB eradication strategy targets 
  • Discussion and detailed presentation on APHA delivery of badger vaccination in 2022 and the forward look for 2023 
  • A member gave a presentation on a badger vaccination project in Cornwall 
  • Discussion around the next steps for TB control in wildlife policy proposals 
  • The Partnership were given a series of presentations and discussed the cattle vaccine project, focussing on:
    • Draft policy proposals and communication strategy which have been codesigned through the Core Group. A consultation is planned for 2024.
    • The latest research and development updates.
    • Ongoing work from the evidence and delivery teams.
    • Potential trade impact and mitigating actions which government are taking to minimise risk.
  • The Partnership were given a presentation and discussed the outcomes of an APHA epidemiological investigation study on the rise of OTF-S cases in the High Risk Area. The group were keen for this study to be published.
  • The Partnership were given a presentation and update from the NFU regarding the latest key asks, with acknowledgement that many of these items are already in train.
  • The Partnership received the latest updates from Defra and APHA.
  • The Partnership were updated on whole genome sequencing (WGS) including work the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) have been doing to develop pathogen genomics at a large scale and development of an internal ViewBovis app which will help APHA to track the movement of disease.
  • APHA provided an update on phase 1 of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR testing) and plans for Phase 2 which is due to go live later in 2023. Phase 2 will see the use of PCR extended to post-mortem samples taken from TB test positive cattle (skin, gamma, etc), direct contacts (DC) and compulsory or privately slaughtered Inconclusive Reactors (IR). The PCR test reduces the time taken by the APHA laboratory to confirm whether M. bovis is present in tissue samples collected from carcases at post-mortem inspection..
  • The Partnership were given an update on proposals for the next phase of wildlife disease control policy.
  • The group discussed the use of the Enferplex TB antibody test in cattle. Decisions on the future use of Enferplex will be informed by an on-going head-to-head comparison study of Enferplex, IFN-y and Idexx tests.
  • The British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA) provided an evaluation of an advanced TB training pilot that ran earlier in 2023. 
  • The Partnership received the latest updates from Defra and APHA.
  • The Partnership received a presentation from APHA exploring the key epidemiological characteristics and trends generated from the England epidemiology report 2022. In comparison to 2021:
    • The number of new TB incidents increased in England overall, driven by an increase in OTF-S in the HRA.
    • Decrease in the number of new OTF-W incidents in England, significant reduction in HRA and Edge Area.
    • Decrease in the number of new TB incidents and incidents per 100 HYR in the Edge Area.
    • Reduction in the % incidents still open at the end of the year that were persistent.
    • Reduction in the number of reactors removed in all Risk Areas.
    • Recurrence remained stable in the HRA, but increased in the Edge Area.
    • Herd size and location remain important risk factors for new TB incidents.
    • A new automated methodology to identify possible risk pathways for TB was developed to provide insights in the absence of APHA veterinary investigations (DRFs).
  • APHA presented the proposed sampling strategy for Whole Genome Sequencing and the anticipated benefits.
  • The Partnership heard an update on APHA led badger vaccination in post-cull areas, where there has been a more than doubling of the area and number of badgers vaccinated, compared with the previous year.
  • The Partnership received an update on progress towards a proposed consultation on future wildlife disease control policy.
  • The Partnership received feedback from the recent TBAS conference.
  • The Secretariat talked through the plans for 2024, including tightening the focus of the Group’s objectives and ensuring strategic prioritisation of agenda topics.
  • Policy and delivery updates were provided by Defra and APHA. 
  • The British Veterinary Association (BVA) gave an overview of their priorities for 2024.

2024

  • The secretariat held an interactive session looking through the forward look of agenda items and workshops planned for the year to gain members views and priorities.
  • APHA presented plans for the evaluation of the effectiveness of the cattle BCG vaccine in the field and sought views from members on what information was most important to them.
  • APHA presented a review of the diagnostic specificity of the DIVA skin test at the end of phase 2 of the field trails and members discussed next steps.
  • Defra gave an update on progress towards a public consultation on the wildlife control policy.
  • APHA presented the epidemiological approaches that have been applied for identifying clusters of cattle bTB infection in the higher risk areas of England for consideration.
  • James Wood presented findings from research looking at the effect on bTB transmission of BCG vaccination of cattle in Ethiopia.
  • Members discussed the policy implications of the findings of APHA research into the fall in bTB reactor numbers.
  • Members were taken through a presentation on the delivery of badger vaccination in 2023 and associated costs by APHA / Defra.
  • Policy and delivery updates were provided by Defra and APHA.