Defra has imposed precautionary movement restrictions on a farm in Derbyshire following a high number of brucella test failures.
A number of reactors have been identified in the dairy herd following a herd blood test and a routine test on milk samples. Samples from reactors are undergoing cultural examination.
Veterinary advice was that four of the reactors should be culled. Slaughter of the four, with compensation, has now been carried out and further testing will be done on lymph nodes to check for Brucella.
Sampling of the remaining reactors, who are in isolation, has taken place and the blood and milk samples are under investigation. Defra is also tracing any movements off the farm in recent months.
But it is understood that the farm has been relatively self-contained, with few movements off the farm apart from to slaughter. Testing has been on two premises under the same management. There have been no abortions reported from the farm and no other clinical evidence that Brucellosis has been identified. Brucella cultures are relatively slow growing and results may not be known for two weeks.
