Epizootiological evaluation of bovine tuberculosis in Poland

Poland was declared free from bovine tuberculosis on 31 December 1975. During the national disease control from 1958 to 1975, 83 million cattle were examined for tuberculosis. 3 614 376 (4.35%) cattle with positive reactions were slaughtered. Each year from 1980 to 1996 3 985 726 (1986) to 2 171 654 (1996) cattle were tested for tuberculosis - i. e. 31.51 to 30.37% of the total number of cattle in Poland. The number of cattle which were identified as ill or suspected to be ill was from 6954 (0.17%) in 1980 to 493 (0.02%) in 1996. Tuberculosis breakout will still occasionally occur and monitoring based on tuberculin testing and on the veterinary post-slaughter inspection of carcasses at abattoirs is continued.