AQW 21709/17-22


Mr John Blair
Alliance Party
South Antrim


Tabled Date: 08/07/2021
Answered On Date: 27/07/2021
Priority Written: No


Question:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (i) how many badgers have been tested for bovine tuberculosis; and (ii) what percentage of these badgers tested positive for bovine tuberculosis, in each of the last five years.


Answer:
Badgers are tested for bovine tuberculosis (bTB) either by post mortem examination of the carcase or by the blood testing of the live animal. Testing of carcases and live animals during the years in question was carried out for a number of different research and survey purposes, this response collates all those test results into a single table.
In calendar years 2016 to 2020, 2600 badgers were tested for bovine tuberculosis. The numbers and percentages, which gave a positive test result to either post mortem examination, the live animal blood test, or both, were as follows;
Year
Total number of badgers tested for bovine tuberculosis
Number of badgers tested, which gave a positive test result
Percentage of badgers tested, which gave a positive test result
2016
616
69
11.2%
2017
669
101
15.1%
2018
777
90
11.6%
2019
291
49
16.8%
2020
247
34
13.8%