April 2026: TB hotspots in the Low Risk Area of England
Updated 19 May 2026
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Summary
This document reports the situation as at 31 December 2025.
Hotspots in the Low Risk Area of England are areas defined by APHA, where enhanced surveillance for bovine TB is carried out in both cattle and wildlife.
The results of the ongoing surveillance of cattle and ‘found dead’ wildlife along with post-mortem examination and bacteriological culture of badger carcases removed during licensed culling operations are presented here and will inform future TB control measures in both badgers and cattle within the hotspots.
Within hotspots the Animal and Plant Health Agency collect and tests for TB in ‘found dead’ badger and wild deer carcases that are reported for collection via the:
- ‘web report’ form (links provided for relevant hotspots)
- Defra Rural Services Helpline (03000 200 301).
Introduction
As part of the 2014 strategy to achieve Officially Bovine Tuberculosis Free (OTF) status for England by 2038, 3 management areas were established:
- high risk area
- edge area
- low risk area (LRA)
Overall, the LRA has a very low and stable incidence of infected herds. The current strategy seeks to rapidly control infection when it arises through high sensitivity testing of affected herds and temporarily enhanced local TB surveillance through radial and hotspot testing, with the aim of preserving the favourable disease status of this area.
A hotspot is an area in the LRA of England with historically low TB incidence where enhanced TB control measures are carried out following detection of lesion- or culture- positive TB herd breakdowns of uncertain origin. More information can be found in the Bovine tuberculosis in Great Britain in 2024 - explanatory supplement to the annual reports.
These areas are defined and managed by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), who determine the most appropriate enhanced measures with the aim of eradication of disease in that area. Enhanced measures include, but are not limited to, more frequent cattle surveillance testing and a survey of TB in ‘found dead’ wildlife (badgers and deer).
Hotspot areas are subject to an annual review of all evidence gathered from the enhanced surveillance of cattle and wildlife. This involves a group of technical experts from across APHA with a remit of determining appropriate next steps to continue progress towards eradication in these areas. This ensures protection of the special status of the LRA and assists with progress of the Defra strategic aim of eradication by 2038.
Previously, areas have been referred to as ‘potential’ or ‘confirmed’ hotspots, depending upon identification, or not, of infection in wildlife populations. This has now changed. APHA is now managing Hotspots in ‘stages’ covering cattle, and where relevant, wildlife. Table 1 details this further.
At the time of writing there were 6 active hotspot areas, all of which have infection identified in local ‘found dead’ badger carcases.
Table 1. Hotspot management stages
| Stage | Definition | Hotspot |
|---|---|---|
| Launch | APHA introduce enhanced cattle surveillance and begin stakeholder engagement in the defined area. | Not applicable |
| Review | After sufficient testing of cattle is completed, e.g. two years of 6 monthly herd testing, and thereafter annually, there is a thorough review of the available evidence, and disease controls are reduced or increased as justified. APHA also consider introducing wildlife surveillance. | Not applicable |
| Wildlife Involvement | Initiate wildlife surveillance to identify if disease is present in the local wildlife and linked to cattle cases. | HS30, HS31 |
| Wildlife Disease Control | Introduce appropriate wildlife disease control based on the evidence gathered from enhanced cattle and wildlife surveillance. | HS21, HS23, HS28, HS29 |
| Closure | Reduce cattle disease controls when evidence allows, ensure effective completion of any wildlife disease controls introduced. | Not applicable |
Surveillance for disease in wildlife (stage 3)
Collection of ‘found dead’ wildlife carcases (badgers and deer) is conducted with the aim of establishing if Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) is present in the local wildlife population.
This relies on the engagement and cooperation of local stakeholders reporting carcases via our ‘web report’ form or to the Defra Rural Services Helpline (03000 200 301) for collection.
Carcases can only be submitted to APHA if they are intact, meaning not decomposed or too damaged, and they are in a safe place for collection.
Post-mortem examination (PME) is then conducted, with tissue samples taken for bacteriological culture so that if M. bovis can be isolated, it undergoes Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) analysis to establish if there are links to the local cattle breakdowns. It is important that as many carcases as possible are reported to inform epidemiological investigations.
Licensed badger disease control (stage 4)
Badger disease control has been licensed in the Low Risk Area of England (LRA) by Natural England since 2018 in hotspots where APHA has detected evidence of infection by the same M. bovis strain in cattle and badgers. The boundaries of the badger control intervention areas and the locations of infected badger carcases are not released on security grounds.
The badger control intervention areas are defined by APHA epidemiologists and ecologists and consist of:
- the minimum infected area (MIA), based on the location of the infected badgers, associated farms and contiguous breakdown areas, plus a radius of the estimated average social group territory based on main sett distribution
- an outer area, also based on estimated average badger social group territory size, surrounding the minimum infected area, to take into account the possibility that infection may have already spread in the badger population. The boundary is adjusted to adhere to natural barriers to badger movement as far as practicable to minimise the risk of any possible perturbation effects
As in previous years, APHA carried out TB surveillance using culled badger carcases to monitor the prevalence of M. bovis infection and to generate information for future operations in the area. Cage-trapped and controlled shot badger carcases removed from the cull areas underwent PME, with suitable tissue samples collected for culture of M. bovis in the laboratory. Genotyping and WGS was then carried out on any isolates of the bacterium.
Closure of hotspots (stage 5)
No hotspots were closed during 2025.
Hotspot 21
Hotspot 21 (HS21) was established in September 2016, due to a cluster of TB cattle herd breakdowns emerging from late 2014. It covers 360 km2.
Enhanced TB surveillance measures have been implemented in cattle and wildlife across the whole hotspot area, including the collection of ‘found dead’ badger and wild deer carcases. HS21 is in management Stage 4.
The genotype of M. bovis associated with HS21 (17:z, now WGS clade B6-23) had not previously been identified in cattle herds in Great Britain. Investigations concluded that disease is most likely to have been introduced by cattle imported from Northern Ireland.
The novel genotype identified in both cattle and badgers in this area and the WGS analysis provided evidence that local spread of TB had likely occurred within cattle, then spilled over to badgers and eventually circulated between both species (Rossi et al., 2022; Phylodynamic analysis of an emergent Mycobacterium bovis outbreak in an area with no previously known wildlife infections).
Figure 1 shows hotspot 21 as at 31 December 2025, located south of Penrith. It covers 360 km2 (square kilometres).
From identification of the index case in November 2014 to 31 December 2025, there have been 62 cattle herd breakdowns, of which 19 were OTF-Withdrawn (OTFW) with WGS clade B6-23 and 43 were OTF-Suspended (OTFS).
Depending on compliance with criteria, the majority of holdings have been eligible to move from 6 monthly to annual whole herd testing, with the phased reduction starting in Autumn 2020.
Collection of ‘found dead’ badgers and deer was ongoing at 31 December 2025. From September 2016 to then, a total of 82 badger and 9 wild deer carcases had undergone post-mortem analysis. There were no submissions within 2025. There have been 3 M. bovis-positive badgers, all of which were identified in 2017, genetically related to the cattle cases.
Not all reported carcases are collected and submitted for PME. Further detail is provided in sub-section ‘Surveillance for disease in Wildlife (Stage 3)’.
Area 32 – Cumbria
Badger disease control operations in the form of culling were licensed and began within HS21 in September 2018, formally known as Area 32 – Cumbria.
Since 2020, no infected badgers have been identified by PME across the area (Table 2). Therefore, since then, a phase over to badger vaccination has been carried out, covering the whole 218 km2 intervention area by 2022. The seventh year of operations began in May 2025, focussing on the overlap between HS21 and HS29 to reduce the risk of disease spread.
In 2025, 125 vaccinations were administered to badgers trapped by APHA staff across 41 km2.
A total of 869 badger vaccinations have been administered to date:
| Year | Number of vaccinations |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 100 |
| 2021 | 111 |
| 2022 | 140 |
| 2023 | 169 |
| 2024 | 224 |
Table 2. Prevalence of M. bovis in the sampled badgers in Area 32 – Cumbria
| Year | Carcases positive for M. bovis | Prevalence |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 41 of 369 | 11.1% [95% CI 7.9, 14.3] |
| 2019 | 3 of 313 | 1% [95% CI 0.0, 2.04] |
| 2020 | 0 of 134 | 0% |
| 2021 | 0 of 62 | 0% |
The number of carcases tested may have been less than the total number removed due to operational reasons. The area in which cull operations were conducted changed each year, including expansion due to the location of disease and reduction during the phase to badger vaccination. More information can be found in previously iterations of this report (Bovine TB: hotspots in the Low Risk Area of England).
Results from the ongoing enhanced surveillance of cattle and ‘found dead’ wildlife will be considered annually to inform future control measures in cattle within HS21.
Hotspot 23
A hotspot area (HS23) was established in June 2018, following the disclosure of M. bovis in a cattle herd in southwest Lincolnshire. It covers 860 km2.
Due to its proximity to, and shared genotype with, a cluster of OTFW breakdowns in northeast Leicestershire, this hotspot area straddles the LRA (Lincolnshire) and the Edge Area (Leicestershire and Nottingham).
Enhanced TB surveillance measures have been implemented in cattle and wildlife across the whole hotspot area, including the collection of ‘found dead’ badger and wild deer carcases. HS23 is in management Stage 4.
The WGS clade of M. bovis associated with HS23 is B3-11, predominantly found in:
- Cheshire
- Derbyshire
- Staffordshire
- Northeast Shropshire
Investigations concluded that it had originally been introduced to the Edge Area portion of the hotspot via cattle movements from the Cheshire or Staffordshire area, and then subsequently introduced to the LRA.
There is now a neighbouring ‘Enhanced Surveillance Area’, which APHA is monitoring due to the higher incidence of disease than expected. Current evidence indicates that it is not related to HS23.
Figure 2 shows hotspot 23 as at 31 December 2025, around Grantham. It covers 860 km2 (square kilometres). It also shows the neighbouring Enhanced Surveillance Area.
From 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2025, there have been 163 breakdowns, of which 93 were OTFW with WGS clade B3-11 and 70 were OTFS. All herds within the hotspot have been subject to 6 monthly whole herd testing from September 2024.
Collection of ‘found dead’ badgers and deer is ongoing in HS23. Carcases can be reported for collection via the ‘web report’ form (Found Dead Surveillance Web Report for HS23; active at the time of publishing) or to the Defra Rural Services Helpline (03000 200 301).
From establishment of the hotspot to 31 December 2025, a total of 33 badger and 2 wild deer carcases have been submitted. There were no submissions within 2025. There have been 3 badger carcases culture-positive for M. bovis, all identified pre-2020, 1 located in the Edge Area portion and 2 in the LRA portion, genetically related to the cattle cases. Not all reported carcases are collected and submitted for PME. Further detail is provided in sub-section ‘Surveillance for disease in Wildlife (Stage 3)’.
Area 54 – Lincolnshire
Badger culling operations were licensed and began within the LRA portion of HS23 in September 2020, formally known as Area 54 – Lincolnshire. The sixth year of operations began in May 2025 in the form of APHA-led badger vaccination. Information on the decision-making process for badger culling operations in Area 54 is available within the annual publication ‘Setting the minimum and maximum numbers in badger cull areas in 2025: advice to Natural England’.
Further details of the outcomes of badger culling operations will be published by Natural England in due course. In 2025, 19 badgers were vaccinated across 52 km2.
Table 3. Prevalence of M. Bovis in the sampled badgers in Area 54 – Lincolnshire
| Year | Carcases positive for M. bovis | Prevalence |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 34 of 139 | 24.5% [95% CI 17.4, 31.6] |
| 2021 | 16 of 156 | 10.3% [95% CI 5.5, 15.1] |
| 2022 | 6 of 80 | 7.5% [95% CI 1.7, 13.3] |
| 2023 | 4 of 89 | 4.5% [95% CI 0.19, 8.8] |
| 2024 | 3 of 46 | 6.5% [95% CI 0.00, 13.7] |
The number of carcases tested may have been less than the total number removed due to operational reasons. The area in which cull operations were conducted changed each year due to the location of disease. More information can be found in previously iterations of this report (Bovine TB: hotspots in the Low Risk Area of England).
The results presented here, alongside the ongoing enhanced surveillance of cattle and ‘found dead’ wildlife, will inform future control measures in both cattle and badgers within HS23.
Hotspot 28
A hotspot area (HS28) was established in July 2020 in response to the increase in OTFW cattle herd breakdowns in the area. It covers 780.4 km2.
Enhanced TB surveillance measures have been implemented in cattle and wildlife across the whole hotspot area, including the collection of ‘found dead’ badger and wild deer carcases. HS28 is in management Stage 4.
The WGS clade of M. bovis associated with HS28 is B3-11, predominantly found in:
- Cheshire
- Derbyshire
- Staffordshire
- Northeast Shropshire
Figure 3 shows hotspot 28 as at 31 December 2025, located around Louth. It covers 780.4 km2 (square kilometres).
From the index case in 2019 to 31 December 2025, there have been 67 breakdowns, of which 36 were OTFW with WGS clade B3-11 and 31 were OTFS. All herds within the hotspot have been subject to 6 monthly whole herd testing from Summer 2025.
Collection of ‘found dead’ badgers and deer is ongoing in HS28. Carcases can be reported for collection via the ‘web report’ form (Found Dead Surveillance Web Report for HS28; active at the time of publishing) or to the Defra Rural Services Helpline (03000 200 301).
From establishment of the hotspot to 31 December 2025, a total of 139 badger and 11 wild deer carcases have been submitted. There have been 7 badger carcases culture-positive for M. bovis, identified across 2023, 2024 and 2025, all genetically related to the cattle cases. Not all reported carcases are collected and submitted for PME. Further detail is provided in sub-section ‘Surveillance for disease in Wildlife (Stage 3)’.
APHA-led badger vaccination
Badger disease control operations in the form of badger vaccination began in 2024. This was carried out across 95 km2 around the location of M. bovis-positive ‘found dead’ carcases. This area increased in 2025 to 277 km2. Vaccination was supplemented by serological testing of a sample of trapped badgers, using the APHA-developed ‘restraint cage’.
In 2025, 464 vaccinations were administered to badgers trapped by APHA staff. Of these, 70 underwent serological testing with 2.85% testing positive for M. bovis infection (2/70). Serological testing was deployed in specific locations to confirm distribution of disease.
Table 4. Badger vaccination and serological testing within Hotspot 28
| Year | Total badgers vaccinated | Badgers positive for M. bovis | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 172 | 5 of 41 | 12.2% [95% CI 2.2, 22.2] |
| 2025 | 464 | 2 of 70 | 2.85% [95% CI 0.0, 6.7] |
Serological testing was not deployed to determine a prevalence of disease in the badger population. This was utilised to determine the area to be targeted by vaccination operations by confirming distribution of disease.
The results presented here, alongside the ongoing enhanced surveillance of cattle and ‘found dead’ wildlife, will inform future control measures in both badgers and cattle within HS28.
Hotspot 29
A hotspot area (HS29) was established in January 2023 in response to the increase in OTFW cattle herd breakdowns in the area over the previous years. It covers 510 km2.
Enhanced TB surveillance measures have been implemented in cattle and wildlife across the whole hotspot area, including the collection of ‘found dead’ badger and wild deer carcases. HS29 is in management Stage 4.
The WGS clade of M. bovis associated with HS29 is B3-11, predominantly found in:
- Cheshire
- Derbyshire
- Staffordshire
- Northeast Shropshire
Figure 4 shows hotspot 29 as at 31 December 2025, located northeast of Penrith. It covers 510 km2 (square kilometres).
From the index case in 2015 to 31 December 2025, there have been 59 breakdowns, of which 18 were OTFW with WGS clade B3-11 and 41 were OTFS.
All herds within the hotspot have been subject to 6 monthly whole herd testing from October 2023.
Collection of ‘found dead’ badgers and deer is ongoing in HS29. Carcases can be reported for collection via the ‘web report’ form (Found Dead Surveillance Web Report for HS29; active at the time of publishing) or to the Defra Rural Services Helpline (03000 200 301).
From establishment of the hotspot to 31 December 2025, a total of 49 badger and 8 wild deer carcases have been submitted. 7 M. bovis-positive badger carcases were identified across 2023, 2024 and 2025, genetically related to the local cattle cases. Not all reported carcases are collected and submitted for PME. Further detail is provided in sub-section ‘Surveillance for disease in Wildlife (Stage 3)’.
Area 73 – Cumbria
Badger culling operations were licensed and began within HS29 in September 2024, formally known as Area 73 – Cumbria. Information on the decision-making process for badger culling operations in Area 73 is available within the annual publication ‘Setting the minimum and maximum numbers in badger cull areas in 2025: advice to Natural England’.
Further details of the outcomes of badger culling operations will be published by Natural England in due course. In 2025, 175 badgers were removed from the cull area.
Of the carcases that underwent PME in 2025, 1 (1/173; 0.6% [95% CI 0.0, 1.7]) was positive for M. bovis across the whole area.
Table 5. Prevalence of M. bovis in the sampled badgers in Area 73 – Cumbria
| Year | Carcases positive for M. bovis | Prevalence |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 24 of 449 | 5.3% [95% CI 3.3, 7.4] |
| 2025 | 1 of 173 | 0.6% [95% CI 0.0, 1.7] |
The results presented here, alongside the ongoing enhanced surveillance of cattle and ‘found dead’ wildlife, will inform future control measures in both cattle and badgers within HS29.
Hotspot 30
A hotspot area (HS30) was established in early 2023 in response to a cluster of OTFW breakdowns emerging in this area. It covers 200 km2.
Enhanced TB surveillance measures have been implemented in cattle and wildlife across the whole hotspot area, including the collection of ‘found dead’ badger and wild deer carcases. HS30 is in management Stage 3.
The WGS clade of M. bovis associated with HS30 is B6-62 predominantly found in:
- Hampshire
- Berkshire
- Oxfordshire
- Buckinghamshire
- Warwickshire
- Northamptonshire
- West Midlands
Figure 5 shows hotspot 30 as at 31 December 2025, located east of Aylesbury. It covers 200 km2 (square kilometres).
From establishing the hotspot in early 2023 to 31 December 2025, there have been 14 breakdowns, of which 5 were OTFW with WGS clade B6-62 and 9 were OTFS. All herds within the hotspot have been subject to annual whole herd testing from October 2023.
Collection of ‘found dead’ badgers and deer in HS30 was ongoing at 31 December 2025.
From establishment of the hotspot to 31 December 2025, a total of 8 badger carcases have been submitted. All were negative. Not all reported carcases are collected and submitted for PME. Further detail is provided in sub-section ‘Surveillance for disease in Wildlife (Stage 3)’.
A single badger was collected during the Southern Edge Road Traffic Accident (RTA) survey, run by APHA in collaboration with the University of Nottingham, in February 2022 from the portion of west Hertfordshire (LRA) extending into Buckinghamshire (Edge Area). M. bovis was isolated and identified within WGS clade B6-62, linked to the cattle cases.
The results presented here, alongside the ongoing enhanced surveillance of cattle and ‘found dead’ wildlife, will inform future control measures in both cattle and badgers within HS30.
Hotspot 31
A hotspot area (HS31) was established in October 2025 in response to a cluster of cattle herd breakdowns in the Greater Manchester area. It covers 352.69 km2.
Due to its proximity to, and shared genotype with, breakdowns outside the LRA, this hotspot area straddles the LRA (Greater Manchester) and the Edge Area (Derbyshire and Cheshire). Enhanced TB surveillance measures have been implemented in cattle and wildlife across the whole hotspot area, including the collection of ‘found dead’ badger and wild deer carcases. HS31 is in management Stage 3.
The WGS clade of M. bovis associated with HS31 is B3-11, linked to infection creep through Derbyshire into the Greater Manchester area.
Figure 6 shows hotspot 30 as at 31 December 2025, located southeast of Stockport. It covers 352.69 km2 (square kilometres).
From establishing the hotspot in October 2025 to 31 December 2025, there have been 3 breakdowns, of which all were OTFS. All herds within the LRA portion of the hotspot have been subject to annual whole herd testing from October 2025. Cattle surveillance within the Edge Area portion remains as 6 monthly or annual depending on the herd location.
Collection of ‘found dead’ badgers and deer is ongoing in HS31. Carcases can be reported for collection via the ‘web report’ form (Found Dead Surveillance Web Report for HS31; active at the time of publishing) or to the Defra Rural Services Helpline (03000 200 301).
No submissions had been made since recent establishment of the hotspot to 31 December 2025. Not all reported carcases are collected and submitted for PME. Further detail is provided in sub-section ‘Surveillance for disease in Wildlife (Stage 3)’.
The results from ongoing enhanced surveillance of cattle and ‘found dead’ wildlife will inform future control measures in both cattle and badgers within HS31.