TB found in four in 10 Cork North badgers

Last year, the total number of badgers removed from vaccine areas, because they were positive for TB, was 2,548. Picture: Richard Mills

    Cork North is one of three regional veterinary office areas where the Department of Agriculture has found a higher than 40% presence of bovine tuberculosis at post mortem in badgers this year.

Nationally, bTB was found in 372 out of 1,530 badgers, a 24.3% incidence.

According to the Department of Agriculture, TB cannot be eradicated in badgers or cattle without addressing the problem in both species, because they share the common habitat of grazing land.