Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 199: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if research work is being undertaken on cattle tuberculosis vaccines which could be marked and identified in TB testing as a vaccine strain. [45440/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I understand that research is being carried out in the United Kingdom on the development of a BCG vaccine for cattle that could be used in conjunction with the tuberculin test. Officials from my Department are in regular contact with their counterparts in the UK laboratory and are closely monitoring developments. I should point out, however, that EU legislation prohibits the vaccination of cattle against bovine TB because the tuberculin test cannot distinguish between TB infected and vaccinated animals.

The Deputy may also wish to be aware that my Department has recently commenced a 3-year field study on the usefulness of protecting wild badgers from TB infection with an orally delivered preparation of BCG vaccine.