SCIENTISTS have ruled out wildlife being behind an outbreak of bovine TB in Scotland that led to the slaughter of a herd of cattle.
Scottish Government officials are still trying to pin down what caused the disease to appear on a farm at Ballencrieff, Bathgate, West Lothian, last month, and say their investigation is continuing.
Discounting a possibility the infection came from wildlife means there will be no plans to cull badgers or other potential carriers of the disease. Sixty cattle were compulsorily slaughtered following the outbreak, said to be one of the worst in Scotland in recent years.
However, the appearance of the disease does not mean Scotland will lose its TB-free status as it is an isolated case which does not affect wider stocks.
A spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said: "Our investigations are still on ongoing. We have so far ruled out the possibility that it came from wildlife, while there have been no positive tests on cattle on neighbouring fields."
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