News

Researchers from the UK, Ireland, and the EU form all-island project to tackle bovine TB

Frozen Bone-In Beef
Meat
Ireland
United Kingdom
Published Mar 1, 2023

Tridge summary

Collaboration to study host immune response to tackle persistent TB infection in cattle. Project to develop multidisciplinary ‘immunology hub’ plan for all-island approach.

Original content

Researchers from the Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS) at Queen’s University Belfast and the AgriFood and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) have partnered with experts from University College Dublin (UCD) in a concerted bid to understand the immunology of bovine TB (bTB), particularly the role that nutrition and Vitamin D might play, on an all-island basis for the first time. It is estimated that TB infected herds have a 30-40% chance of a repeat breakdown within three years due to a relapse of infection on farms on both sides of the Irish border. UK, Irish and EU goals to eradicate bTB cannot be met without an intensified focus on the reasons behind recurring infection, experts say. This project, which will explore the role of Vitamin D in the animals’ immune response, has been funded by the Irish government under the ‘Shared Island’ initiative, which seeks to build new North-South partnerships in strategically important areas. Research will be led by Dr Kieran Meade of ...
By clicking “Accept Cookies,” I agree to provide cookies for statistical and personalized preference purposes. To learn more about our cookies, please read our Privacy Policy.