PBD has developed Actiphage®, a new diagnostic that tests milk and blood for low levels of live mycobacteria, the pathogen that causes diseases such as bTB and Johne’s disease.
The test can detect cattle that are carriers of the disease before they become infectious, allowing effective disease containment and control.
Last year, Devonshire vet Dick Sibley successfully used Actiphage as part of a private eradication strategy to clear a dairy herd of bTB. As a result, the UK government’s Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) added Actiphage to its exceptional private use protocol for chronic TB breakdowns in England.
Additionally, artisan cheese makers have started using the test on their milk to gain reassurance following inconclusive skin tests, providing an “insurance policy” for their raw-milk produce should a herd breakdown emerge at a later date.
Actiphage is the winner of the 2019 Royal Dairy Innovation Award for the most significant innovation for the future of dairying.
UK Diary Day 2019 is to be held on 11 September 2019 at The International Centre, Telford TF3 4JH. For more information, visit the UK Dairy Day website.
