30 Jul 2009

Board conducts test, culling after Tb in Taranaki

12:38 pm on 30 July 2009

The Animal Health Board has been doing herd tests and culling dairy cows after an increase in bovine tuberculosis cases in the Taranaki region.

The board, which is charged with testing and monitoring Tb nationally, has confirmed the disease in four dairy herds.

Taranaki normally experiences just one or two outbreaks a year.

The board's regional co-ordinator, Terry Hynes, says the main focus is trying to find the source of the infection, which may have been spread by infected bulls brought in for mating.

Mr Hynes says most dairy herds are in the middle of calving, so no further tests will be done until that is finished.

He says it is unknown how long it will be until the source of the infection is found.