Badgers Making Cows Sick in UK

Badgers are infected by Bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) which they spread to cows. The disease can be transmitted in several ways; for example, badgers excrete the bacteria that causes bTB in exhaled air, sputum, urine, faeces and pus, so the disease can be transmitted by direct contact, contact with the excreta of an infected animal, or inhalation of aerosols, depending on the species involved..There is a Question as to whether it is safe for people to eat  cows infected by bTB. The people who are in favor of killing all the badgers say it is dangerous to eat infected cows. Many people who grow cattle feel that it is perfectly safe if you cut out the infected organ when the cow is slaughtered. PETA is trying to get people to stop eating meat in Great Britain which is adding fuel to the debate.   

There is a vaccine for bTB but it is illegal to use on cattle in britain. When the Cows are given the vaccine it is impossible to tell whether the animal is sick or if it was given the vaccine. bTB is usually transmitted to humans by infected milk, although it can also spread via aerosol droplets. Actual infections in humans are rare, mainly because pasteurisation kills any bacteria in infected milk; also, cattle are randomly tested for the disease and immediately culled if infected, but can still be used for human consumption
There has been an attempt to give the badgers the vaccine. This proved to be expensive and very time consuming. They need to give the badger the vaccine once a year for 5 years.The Scientist has to go out and check the traps each morning about 6:30 AM The most effective way to treat the badgers is to start them very young. Newborn badgers don’t leave the den for 11 weeks. By that time many are already infected. Once they are infected the vaccine will not work. In one trial it cost 3111 Pounds to fully treat one badger.  

Most large grocery chains in Great Britain will not accept meat that has been infected with bTB so most of this meat ends up in institutional accounts like schools and hospitals.