Bovine TB (bTB) is a notifiable disease in the UK caused by Mycobacterium bovis. Disease can be carried and spread by a variety of other species, and it is also a zoonosis (humans can be infected). Development of disease is very slow, and it can take months or years from infection before clinical signs appear. Most infected cattle are identified during routine TB testing, long before there are any external symptoms. Badgers may play some role in the spread of TB on or between farms, but this risk is low compared to cattle-to-cattle transmission.
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