• Question: why do badgers carry tb that affect cattle?

    Asked by anonymous2 to Pete, Rebecca, SallyB, Sally, Sian on 18 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Peter Styring

      Peter Styring answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      For many badgers it is possible for them to carry the virus without them being affected. However, it is possible that they might act as carriers and pass on the virus. In fact a 2007 study has shown hat here is no evidence that badgers do transmit the disease to cattle. Last century as many as 40% of cattle were shown to carry the TB virus.

    • Photo: Rebecca Randell

      Rebecca Randell answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      It is very difficult for a badger to affect a cow with TB. I think they have different strains of it so it can’t be passed from one to the other

    • Photo: Sally Fenton

      Sally Fenton answered on 18 Jun 2010:

      I think badgers carry the TB but it doesn’t always get passed on to the cattle and for some reason it does not affect the badger. But why they can carry the virus without them affecting them I don’t know…sorry! maybe its in their genes and they have something which protects them against it in their immune system…a bit like once you have had chcken pox you can’t get it again because you have something in your system which protects you against it.

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