Vet inspection company to run bovine TB vaccination trials

Following an open competition, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has awarded Leeds-based nationwide vet inspection services company, Eville & Jones, the contract to run veterinary field trials of CattleBCG vaccine and the companion DIVA (Detecting Infected amongst Vaccinated Animals) skin test.

Eville & Jones has brought together an experienced research and quality assurance team to deliver the project which, if successful, may help in the eradication of bovine TB, by immunising cattle against the disease

The group will work with APHA to confirm timelines and identify suitable herds for the field trials, which are scheduled to start across the UK in 2021. They will be conducted on behalf of Defra, the Welsh Government and Scottish Government, following more than 20 years of pioneering research into bovine TB vaccines and diagnostic tests.

Eville & Jones chief executive officer, Charles Hartwell, said: “I am delighted that we have been awarded the tender to undertake these groundbreaking vaccination trials and look forward to working closely with APHA to fulfil this vital work.”