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Wounded seal on coast had TB from badger bite, vet says | Wounded seal on coast had TB from badger bite, vet says |
(35 minutes later) | |
A wounded seal pup that washed up on a Cornish beach has been put down after being declared the first ever to catch bovine TB. | A wounded seal pup that washed up on a Cornish beach has been put down after being declared the first ever to catch bovine TB. |
Vet Andy Biggs treated the seal and believes it was bitten by a badger. | Vet Andy Biggs treated the seal and believes it was bitten by a badger. |
Mr Biggs suggested the badger could have come into contact with the pup at birth after being attracted by the placenta. | Mr Biggs suggested the badger could have come into contact with the pup at birth after being attracted by the placenta. |
The government said the "unusual" incident demonstrates that Bovine TB could spread between species. | The government said the "unusual" incident demonstrates that Bovine TB could spread between species. |
Mr Biggs said: "Its quite worrying to me. What's essentially an aquatic mammal who spends very little time on our shore, goes away with a free present of Bovine TB. | Mr Biggs said: "Its quite worrying to me. What's essentially an aquatic mammal who spends very little time on our shore, goes away with a free present of Bovine TB. |
"That pup was so severely affected and untreatable that it was destroyed." | "That pup was so severely affected and untreatable that it was destroyed." |
'Terrible bite' | 'Terrible bite' |
Many other warm blooded animals are susceptible to catching bovine TB, such as pigs, sheep, goats, cats and dogs, the government has said. | Many other warm blooded animals are susceptible to catching bovine TB, such as pigs, sheep, goats, cats and dogs, the government has said. |
Nigel Gibbons, the government's chief veterinary officer, said: "It seems quite unusual. We know badgers are territorial. A bite wound is quite often the way badgers are infected, or other animals infected. | Nigel Gibbons, the government's chief veterinary officer, said: "It seems quite unusual. We know badgers are territorial. A bite wound is quite often the way badgers are infected, or other animals infected. |
"It illustrates the possibility that bovine TB can spread from one species to another." | "It illustrates the possibility that bovine TB can spread from one species to another." |
About 10,000 cattle were slaughtered between January and March because they reacted to the TB test, or were in direct contact with the disease. | About 10,000 cattle were slaughtered between January and March because they reacted to the TB test, or were in direct contact with the disease. |
Yvonne Squire, from Torrington in Devon, had a kitten who caught Bovine TB. | Yvonne Squire, from Torrington in Devon, had a kitten who caught Bovine TB. |
She said: "He was attacked by a feral cat. I took him to the vet with a terrible bite. The kitten got worse. I took him back to the vet. They did all these tests. | She said: "He was attacked by a feral cat. I took him to the vet with a terrible bite. The kitten got worse. I took him back to the vet. They did all these tests. |
"They phoned me up to say my little Alfie had TB, and he had to be put down. He said there was a dog there who also had it." | "They phoned me up to say my little Alfie had TB, and he had to be put down. He said there was a dog there who also had it." |
A badger cull is under way in two test areas. Under the proposals, about 5,000 badgers will be culled in two pilot zones in the South West. | |
The government says the action is needed to help tackle bovine TB, a disease of cattle that has been steadily rising since the 1980s. | |
However, wildlife groups say killing badgers will have no impact. |