Don't be like Mavis: stay TB-smart

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Thanks to the success of the TBfree New Zealand programme, the chance of your herd getting bovine tuberculosis (TB) is nearly 30 times lower than it would have been 20 years ago. But with TB-infected possums still living in over 40 per cent of the country, it still pays to be TB-smart.

Being the principal sponsor of Young Country magazine enables us to ‘talk TB’ to New Zealand’s next generation of farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs. Get TB-smart and together we can make TB history!





We're now on Facebook!

TBfree NZ Facebook page

TBfree New Zealand now has its very own Facebook page. 

We'll be discussing the latest TB news and views from NZ and overseas, and sharing the science and stories that help shape our strategy.

It's the ideal way to stay TB-smart. 

See you there!




Possums: The missing link

Deer inspecting TB-ridden possum

Possums are the main source of TB infection in farmed cattle and deer herds in New Zealand. In fact, over 70 per cent of new herd infections in at-risk areas are due to contact with TB-infected wild animals. But we didn't always know this... 

The first TB-infected possum was found in 1967, but the link between possums and cattle was not proven until 1971. Initially, the route of transmission was thought to be via TB pus on pasture but it was later shown that direct contact was needed. 

When possums are suffering from advanced TB, their behaviour becomes extremely erratic. They will often venture out in daylight and on to pasture land. A tuberculous possum will exhale bacteria and may have open lesions. Naturally inquisitive, cows will nuzzle, sniff and lick lethargic possums, potentially becoming infected. Deer are likely to be aggressive - kicking, headbutting and biting sick possums.

When funding for possum control was cut in the late 1970s the number of infected herds tripled over a 14-year period, from around 550 to over 1700. That number started to drop again when full-scale possum control was reinstated in the early 1990s.

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Young Country Agri Sports Challenge

Young Country agri sports challenge

Congratulations to AHB contact centre advisor, Matthew Crump (fourth from left) and NZX's Sam Stanley who took the golden gumboot at the inaugural Young Country Agri Sports Challenge. 

Activities included wheelbarrow racing, gumboot tossing and the Weetbix challenge! Mavis and Rita were on hand (hoof?) to present the prizes. 

More photos of the day on our new Facebook page.





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Ten things you should know about bovine TB

  • Bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis) is an infectious disease that can affect a wide range of animals, including humans. In New Zealand, cattle and deer are the species most at risk of contracting the disease.
  • Possums and ferrets are the main vectors (carriers) of bovine TB in New Zealand. Over 70 per cent of new herd infections in TB-risk areas can be traced back to infected possums or ferrets.
  • Bovine TB is a disease that affects all New Zealanders. Eradicating TB is vital to maintaining the production and reputation of dairy, beef and deer exports, worth around $12 billion a year to this country.
  • TBfree New Zealand – managed by the Animal Health Board – is a nationwide programme of cattle testing and possum control. Its goal is to eradicatie M. bovis from wild vector species across 2.5 million hectares – or one quarter – of New Zealand’s at-risk areas, by 2026 and, eventually, eradicating the disease entirely.
  • To control and contain the spread of the disease within cattle and deer herds, we manage a nationwide testing programme. Around four million TB tests are carried out on cattle and deer every year. Animals suspected of having TB are slaughtered.
  • To control the spread of the disease between infected herds and herds in high TB risk areas, we require all herds to be registered, and stock to be tagged correctly.
  • To stop possums and ferrets, responsible for carrying TB and spreading the disease to cattle and deer, we survey and control wild animals across large areas of private and public land. When funding for possum control was cut in the late 70s the number of infected herds tripled over a 14 year period, from around 550 to over 1700. That number started to drop again when full-scale possum control was reinstated in the early 90s.
  • This combination of wildlife control, livestock movement restrictions and effective disease management has led to a drop in infected herd numbers from 1700 in the mid-1990s to fewer than 100 in 2011.
  • We still have a long way to go. Infected possums are known to live in around 40 per cent of New Zealand. The AHB invests around $2.5 million a year in research with the goal of continually improving how the disease is diagnosed in cattle and deer and the methods used to control TB-carrying pests like possums.
  • The key to beating TB is YOU! By following a few simple rules and regulations, you can help to keep yourself and your neighbours safe, and help us make TB history.

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