The Animal Health Board is concerned that farmer apathy could jeopardise the total eradication of bovine tuberculosis.
The board's southern North Island co-ordinator, Terry Hynes, says the latest monitoring shows the number of infected cattle herds is at a record low, but the downside of the achievement is that more people are questioning the need for possum control and TB testing to manage the disease.
He says Hawke's Bay is a good example of the difficulties in eradicating bovine tuberculosis.
Mr Hynds says between 1994 and 1999 the number of infected herds dropped from 18 to two, but this year there are now five.
