LONDON, July 30 (Reuters) - Bovine tuberculosis is on the rise in Britain despite massive spending to tackle the disease and scientists are to investigate if the bacterium is evolving to thwart control measures. Stephen Gordon of the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) told a news conference on Monday that cases of the disease, which affects cattle, are rising at an average annual rate of 14 percent. Bovine TB is a chronic debilitating disease which causes breathing difficulties and ultimately death. It can spread to humans, with similar symptoms to the human form of the disease, but such cases are very rare. Gordon noted the UK government has estimated it will spend one billion pounds ($2.03 billion) between 2004 and 2012 trying to control the disease and compensating farmers. "Clearly there is a very great need to have some new approaches to try and reduce that enormous taxpayers burden," he said, adding the VLA would be researching the genetics of the bacterium with the Institute of Animal Health. A bullock named Shambo became one of the most recent victims last week when he was taken away from a Hindu monastic community in Wales and slaughtered after a positive test for bovine TB. The disease has also sparked calls for a cull of badgers, a wildlife host of bovine TB, a proposal which has been fiercely opposed by some animal welfare groups. Gordon said the research might help in the development of a new vaccine to combat the disease. Bovine TB occurs worldwide with Ireland, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece among other European countries where it remains a problem.
