New research by Dr Rosie Woodroffe and colleagues suggests that culling raises the rate of TB infection in badgers.

It also demonstrates that cattle infect badgers with the bacterium.

Writing in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team suggests cattle testing and movement controls are a priority.

"This research has two important conclusions," said Dr Woodroffe, a researcher at the University of California in Davis and a member of the UK government's Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB.

It shows for the first time that there is substantial transmission of TB from cattle to badgers Dr Rosie Woodroffe

"The first is that it shows for the first time that there is substantial transmission of TB from cattle to badgers, whereas in the past it's been assumed that didn't happen," she told the BBC News website.

"The second conclusion is that repeated culling increases the prevalence in badgers - each time you cull, it goes up and up."

The government is currently considering whether to introduce a cull, though a consultation mounted recently by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) suggested public opinion is firmly against such a move.

New analysis

THE KREBS TRIAL 30 areas of the country, each 100 square km 10 culled proactively, 10 reactively, 10 not culled Badgers culled through being caught in cage and then shot Incidence of bovine TB measured on farms inside and outside study areas Reactive culling suspended in 2003 after significant rise in infection Trial cost £7m per year

Data for the latest research came from the Randomised Badger Culling Trial, sometimes known as the Krebs trial after Sir John Krebs, the government scientist who instigated it.

An initial analysis, released last year, showed mixed results for culling. Now scientists have looked again at the data and tried to piece together a formula describing infection rates in both cattle and badgers.

Key to the new findings was the foot-and-mouth disease epidemic of 2001, which brought a suspension of both cattle TB testing and badger culling.

The following year saw a sharp rise in TB prevalence among cattle, which was expected, and badgers, which was not.

"We saw across seven study areas a rise in the badger TB prevalence - almost a doubling," said Dr Woodroffe.

"No other explanation fits the data."

Those callous vets who have demanded badger killing should hang their sorry heads in shame Trevor Lawson, Badger Trust

Across the eight years of analysis, culling was also associated with increased TB in the badgers; areas which had received four culls saw a doubling of the rate.

What appears to be happening is that badgers move more freely and more widely in culled areas, increasing contact with each other and with cattle.

Total elimination

Animal welfare groups greeted the study enthusiastically.

"This research confirms beyond doubt that cattle are the main vectors of bovine TB, readily infecting badgers and other cattle," said Trevor Lawson of the Badger Trust.

"The National Farmers Union (NFU) and other farming lobby groups should now have the courage to call a halt to illegal badger killing and to immediately withdraw their unsupported demands for state-sponsored badger culls.

Only a complete badger cull would curb TB, the evidence suggests

"Those callous vets who have demanded badger killing should hang their sorry heads in shame."

But the NFU contended that culling has a role.

"The evidence is clear; the less you do about TB in badgers, the more infection you get in both cattle and badgers," said spokesman Anthony Gibson.

Recent months have seen the incidence in cattle falling, which is widely attributed to a strengthening of government controls on testing and killing of infected herds.

And this, concluded Dr Woodroffe, is where the emphasis should lie in policymaking.

"In theory, if you could totally eliminate a badger population in an isolated area, you would eliminate one transmission route; though whether this would be feasible or desirable is another matter," she said.

"But improved cattle controls would have to be top of a policymaker's list; and culling - well, I'm not sure that would be on the priority list at all."

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We're on a mission from God

We could start removing the Badger from this forum. Dirty bastard.

Be very careful..

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There's not much that I miss
I'm far too forgetful for that

PB more irritating than Cilit Bang and Bassman.