Independent scientific reviews

and official documents on 1080

Undiagnosed Tb-infected cattle are a major problem in Tb control

2016	Humblet, M.F., Boschiroli, M.L., & Saegerman, C.	Veterinary Research 40 (5): Sep – Oct	Classification of worldwide bovine tuberculosis risk reactors in cattle: a stratified approach	“The skin test has shown its limits before [3]. This lack of performance can have serious implications. Indeed, false positives involve eliminating more cattle than required and imposing unnecessary herd restrictions. Similarly, previous studies have demonstrated the under-diagnosing of bTB-infected cattle by the skin test and as a consequence, false negatives can be responsible for the re-emergence of bTB in a herd. This lack of sensitivity can have serious consequences in large herds or in herds containing single infected animals [3]. More efficient tests need to be developed, and the way in which they are administered needs to be improved.”
2012	Animal Health Board Annual Research Report 2011/2012	P9	Identification of risk factors associated with new and persistent infection in cattle herds at Karamea	Due to the likely presence of false-positives (from infected animals that nevertheless react positively to a diagnostic test) and acerbic or recrudescent false-negatives (infected animals that respond negatively), the sensitivity of the range of herd tests available is also relatively low. This suggests that there is a relatively high risk of allowing TB to persist in the herd…expenditure on possum control should not be forthcoming until infected or at-risk herds are tested using a protocol with a higher sensitivity”
2007	AHB Annual Research Report 2006-2007	P 26	Research Summaries for 2006/7 Year. Immunology, Vaccines & Alternative Diagnostic Tests	“Cattle infected with bovine tuberculosis (Tb) are detected using a skin test. If there is a positive reaction, this test is then confirmed by a laboratory test where the blood of the cattle is exposed to Tb ‘specific’ antigens. Cattle reacting positively to both tests are deemed to be positive for Tb, and are sent for slaughter. However, in some problematic herds, there are small numbers of infected cattle which do not respond positively to either the skin test or the blood test (anergic cattle)”