Regular Bovine TB Outbreaks in the UK and Overseas - even in Areas officially declared to be TB Free
Added by
Sally
15 Jul 2010, 3:38 PM
Whilst the UK (and many other developed countries), strive to eradicate bovine TB, the battle is regularly lost in many areas with regular outbreaks in areas declared to be TB free. The international standard for TB freedom is reached when 99.8 per cent of domestic cattle and deer herds have been free for three years and this is similar for the EU. An impossible task with increasing globalisation and when one considers that around 85% of cattle and 82% of the human population are in areas where bovine TB is either only partially controlled or not controlled at all ('Zoonotic tuberculosis due to Mycobacterium bovis in developing countries.').
This s demonstrated in the following web links which reveal the number of breakdowns in different areas over the last few weeks and the current situation in other areas. We hope to add to these links on a regular basis.
http://www.buckeyeag.com/article.php?aid=20100708031810209 Ohio Department of Agriculture Director Robert Boggs today announces that preliminary tests performed by the department’s Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory revealed a positive result for bovine tuberculosis in a Paulding County dairy herd.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/rural/3913218/Bovine-TB-threat-remains www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/rural/3913215/TB-control-critical-to-our-markets In New Zealand there are still pockets of bovine TB in some areas of the southern North Island, says Terry Hynes, regional co-ordinator for the Animal Health Board. The area he covers extends from Gisborne and Taranaki, south to Wairarapa and Wellington.
http://www.vetsweb.com/news/bovine-tb-discovered-in-south-west-france-1399.html On a farm in Ariège in the Southern of France, bovine tuberculosis has been detected. The 83 animals on the farm have been culled as a precaution. Twelve other farms in the area are under supervision. In France, an average of thirty cases of the disease is detected per year.
http://www.cattlenetwork.com/What-Does-Discovery-Of-Bovine-Tuberculosis-In-A-Herd-In-Ohio-Mean-For-Ohio-Livestock-Farmers/2010-0... In July 2010 a dairy herd had recently been detected with bovine tuberculosis (bTB) and subsequently depopulated. There have apparently been similar outbreaks in other states.Biosecurity and the concern of introducing diseases, like tuberculosis and others characterized by 'silent'" infections, into herds and flocks is mentioned. Should additional herds be discovered in the next two years, the possibility of loss of the existing 'free" status' with respect to bTB exists. The current situation in Ohio and the USA, with respect to bTB, is interesting and gives some insight into changes that have occurred over the past 20-30 years. Herd size has tended to increase, especially in the dairy industry. Some of this expansion occurred with retention of natural additions to herds, but for many herds it also involved movement of animals from one herd to another. In some cases bTB has been traced to Mexican cattle entering the US as Holstein feeder animals and roping/rodeo steers. Unfortunately, in a few cases contact between these animals and other animals destined for breeding herds has occurred. This time frame has also seen the growth of farmed deer, elk, and bison herds, much of which was unregulated until recent years and in which some level of bTB may have persisted. The conspicuous feature of this change is the nature and amount of animal movement.
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9I36A4O1.htm A second Emmet County farm has been classified as being infected with bovine tuberculosis in Michigan. State officials say a first herd tested positive in March. An investigation found that a breeding bull from that herd had been leased to the second Emmet County producer. Emmet County is in a zone where herds must be tested at least once every three years and sometimes more often, depending on the type of cattle sold.
http://www.9and10news.com/Category/Story/?id=254474&cID=1 In March 2010, the Michigan Department of Agriculture found a bovine Tuberculosis positive herd in Emmet County. It marked the second herd infected in Emmet County in 2010. That has some people worried, because two more infected herds would mean tighter regulations for local farmers.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/business/farming/4124935/Farmers-get-Tb-warning A Tb-infected cow, originally from the West Coast, was discovered in the Edendale area earlier this year, sparking fears the disease could return to the province. Concerns were raised about farmers buying cattle from the West Coast, considered to be a higher risk area, and moving them to Southland.
http://www.9and10news.com/Category/Story/?id=254474&cID=1 In March 2010, the Michigan Department of Agriculture found a bovine Tuberculosis positive herd in Emmet County. It marked the second herd infected in Emmet County in 2010. That has some people worried, because two more infected herds would mean tighter regulations for local farmers.
http://www.vetsweb.com/news/bovine-tb-discovered-in-south-west-france-1399.html Bovine TB discovered in South West France 24 Aug 2010 - on a farm in Ariège in the Southern of France. 83 animals were culled as a precaution and twelve other farms in the area are under supervision. The incident dates back to April when one of the animals appeared to have vesicles, revealed during a routine inspection at the abattoir. However, it took several weeks before the authorities could definitively say it concerned bovine TB. In France, an average of thirty cases of the disease is detected per year.
http://www.libyanvet.com/apps/blog/entries/show/4761036-new-case-of-bovine-tb-in-south-of-france In south west France a new case of bovine tuberculosis has been found. It is the third contaminated farm in this region. The 500 animals on the farm will be culled, according to local veterinary services. The first case of bovine TB was in Ariège (see previous), close to the Spanish border. A few days later, a second case of the disease was found in the same area. A total of 110 cows have been culled on both farms. Around 30 farms are under quarantine now. Tests at nine suspected farms appeared to be negative.
http://www.kdvr.com/lifestyle/sns-ap-co--cowquarantine,0,7856508.story The cows were diagnosed with TB in April. Tests showed a "significant level" of infection within the 500-cow southern Colorado herd, which were all slaughtered.
http://www.meattradenewsdaily.co.uk/news/280910/usa___more_cases_of_bovine_tb.aspx The Michigan Department of Agriculture says that following the discovery of bovine TB in a herd in Emmet County in March, one of teh bulls from the herd has been connected to a second farm. This makes it the second herd infected in Emmet County.
http://mn4h.com/beef/components/pdfs/Mgmt.%20of%20Bovine%20TB%20in%20Wildlife%20in%20Canada's%20National%20Parks%20-%20Ken%20Kingdon,%20Doug%20Bergeson,%20Tim%20Sallows.pdf Management of Bovine Tuberculosis in Canada's National Park, July 2009.
becky
9 Apr 2013, 6:55 PM
SAGINAW COUNTY, MI (WNEM) - There are concerns and questions about some Mid-Michigan livestock after an entire herd tested positive for bovine tuberculosis.
And the discovery has Saginaw County beef and cattle farmers are worried about their livestock and, in turn, their livelihood.
"I have a nice small herd of cattle that's important to my family as well as my children, and also the folks that buy beef from me," said local farmer Scott Peters.
The discovery of bovine tuberculosis in a Saginaw County dairy cow herd is almost unheard of. That concern is why the state's department of agriculture and rural development held an informational session for beef and cattle producers.
Scott Peters says his farm is TB free, but he says he plans to test his herd anyway. "I want to be able to assure them that they're getting a good quality product free from of any disease," said Peters.
Meanwhile, state officials are preparing to begin testing next week of 66 herds within a 10-mile radius around the farm first discovered to have infected cattle.
At a meeting held Monday night between the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Michigan Department of Agriculture, it was decided that deer hunting season will open early for hunters within a 10-mile radius of the affected farm.
Farmers in the area have received applications for special deer hunting permits and will be able to keep deer after they are tested by the Department of Natural Resources.
Info from: www.wnem.com/story/21917147/bovine-tb-discovered-at-saginaw-co-dairy-farm
becky
8 Apr 2013, 7:44 PM
NEW ZEALAND Four dairy herds in Taranaki are infected with bovine tuberculosis. Taranaki has been considered free of Bovine TB for a number of years although experienced a small outbreak in 2008 and 2009. TBFree New Zealand said the infected herds, one near Opunake in South Taranaki and three near Inglewood, are being carefully monitored to prevent the disease spreading.
Animal Health Board regional co-ordinator Frank Pavitt said the outbreak started at the end of last year and has continued this year. He said the infected Opunake herd is in the same area as the outbreak several years ago, but there is no direct link at this stage. Mr Pavitt said stock movements in the infected properties are being investigated to find the source of the disease.
Info from: www.radionz.co.nz/news/rural/132266/bovine-tb-in-four-herds-in-taranaki
UPDATE from www.radionz.co.nz/news/rural/132266/bovine-tb-in-four-herds-in-taranaki
Four dairy herds in Taranaki are infected with bovine tuberculosis. Taranaki has been considered free of Bovine TB for a number of years although experienced a small outbreak in 2008 and 2009. TBFree New Zealand said the infected herds, one near Opunake in South Taranaki and three near Inglewood, are being carefully monitored to prevent the disease spreading.
Animal Health Board regional co-ordinator Frank Pavitt said the outbreak started at the end of last year and has continued this year. He said the infected Opunake herd is in the same area as the outbreak several years ago, but there is no direct link at this stage. Mr Pavitt said stock movements in the infected properties are being investigated to find the source of the disease.
becky
28 Mar 2013, 8:04 PM
MICHIGAN LANSING (AP) — A herd of cows in Saginaw County has tested positive for bovine tuberculosis. Michigan’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development announced the laboratory results on Tuesday. The entire herd was tested after one of the dairy cows tested positive for the Michigan strain of tuberculosis during slaughter surveillance.
The state will test a 10-mile circle around the farm to see if other herds have been infected. MDARD Bovine TB Program Coordinator Rick Smith said there are 66 farms in the 10-mile area around the herd.
Info from: www.mininggazette.com/page/content.detail/id/302353/Herd-tests-positive-for-bovine-TB-.html?isap=1&nav=5014
becky
15 Mar 2013, 6:42 PM
GERMANY Germany have not tested for bTB for 16 years. However, it is known that a few cases are reported. More recently, in the Oberallgau region 184 farms have been found to have cattle testing positive.
becky
13 Mar 2013, 6:04 PM
SWITZERLAND A cow in Fribourg has been discovered to have bovine tuberculosis—it’s the first time since 1960 that the disease has appeared in Switzerland.
The 11-year-old cow was discovered to be diseased when it was slaughtered earlier this month.
Federal Health Officials say that the products made with her milk don’t pose a health risk to humans as they were heat-treated.
Federal Veterinary Officials are testing the entire herd and have banned the use of milk from it.
France, Germany and Austria are currently experiencing a resurgence of TB in livestock and wildlife, especially deer and badgers.
UPDATED 6/4/13: A herd of cows has been euthanized in the canton of Fribourg, after it was found that most were infected with bovine tuberculosis.
The herd was tested after one cow became seriously ill last month.
Neuchâtel’s Department of Food Safety and Veterinary Affairs says the testing showed that the herd had “a high rate of infection” and decided to euthanize and incinerate all of the animals.
The health officials say the high rate indicates that the tuberculosis was present for years, and that cows which tested negative could have in fact been carrying the infectious agent.
Infected animals have also been found in cantons Vaud and Valais. Further tests are taking place.
Look at the lengths Texas went to re 'eradicating' bTB - banning dairy farms in the area! Read the interesting article at:www.nytimes.com/2013/02/22/us/texas-lawmaker-seeks-end-of-dairy-farm-ban-in-el-paso-county.html?_r=0
In 2003, the U.S.D.A., the Texas Animal Health Commission and El Paso dairy farmers agreed to an estimated $44 million deal to buy out 11 dairies in El Paso, eradicate the cattle and isolate the farmland for 20 years. In 2006, Texas regained its bovine tuberculosis-free status.
Dairy farmers are now trying to get ban lifted.
becky
12 Feb 2013, 9:13 AM
www.foodsafetynews.com/2013/02/investigation-underway-for-bovine-tuberculosis-case-in-ca/ More about the California bTB outbreaks. Interesting extract below.
In an email to associates in veterinary science and epidemiology, California State Veterinarian Annette Jones said that this most recent case was most likely not associated with multiple cases of bovine TB discovered in San Bernardino County dairy cows throughout 2011.
“We are just beginning to look into how this TB case was introduced and if it has spread — testing for TB is a long and arduous task with less than perfect tests at our disposal,” Jones wrote, “so it may be weeks to months before we have additional information to share.”
becky
18 Jan 2013, 5:52 PM
WASHINGTON Washington state agriculture officials are investigating a possible case of bovine tuberculosis in a Grant County dairy cow sent to slaughter. bTB has not been seen in Washington cattle since 1988.
Agriculture Department spokesman Hector Castro said Thursday that the meat was isolated after a federal food safety inspector spotted a suspicious lesion and sent a sample for testing. The cow was sent earlier this month to a Cowlitz County slaughter facility.
Castro says milk produced by the dairy was intended for pasteurization, which kills bacteria, including bovine TB. The dairy was not identified.
The National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Iowa reported Wednesday that the tissue sample was consistent with bovine TB. Castro says an additional test is being done to confirm the diagnosis, with results expected in six weeks.
UPDATE Federal agriculture officials did not find any evidence of tuberculosis in the cattle at the cow’s former dairy, located in Snohomish County, WSDA communications director Hector Castro told Food Safety News. A team of seven veterinarians from the WSDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture first tested the farm’s 20 dairy cows, and then the remainder of the farm’s cattle — roughly 300 heads — which are kept separately from the dairy cows.
Now the investigation has turned to the Grant County dairy that most recently owned the cow. Investigators completed the first phase of testing that herd, which involves injecting each cow with an antigen that produces a bump on the skin. Investigators will wait 72 hours before returning on Monday to check for any cattle that might still have the bump, which would suggest a tuberculosis infection.
Info from www.foodsafetynews.com/2013/01/bovine-tuberculosis-update-no-tb-at-cows-previous-dairy/
The government typically either slaughters the entire herd or tests them for potential reaction, removing those that show initial signs for further testing, Jonker said. The latter practice takes longer, but allows the farmer to keep animals that are free of disease.
It takes daily doses of antibiotics for six months to a year to cure an infected human or animal, Schmitt said.
FURTHER UPDATE As of Jan 29 an investigator from the USDA and the Washington State Dept of Agriculture declared the dairy farm near Monroe clear of bovine tubercolosis. Tracing back from a positive TB result from a cow at a Cowlitz County slaughter facility led to this dairy and about a dozen other herds in Washington and Idaho, which will also be examined.
The cow was from a Moses Lake dairy and had been bought from the Monroe dairy about a year ago. Cattle at the Moses Lake dairy and elsewhere are still being tested. State health officials say there’s no immediate human health concern connected to the suspected bovine TB case. The meat from the infected cow was isolated until the test results came back.
Then 30 Jan media coverage stating that eleven more cows have tested positive for bovine tuberculosis (T-B) at a dairy which produced the first TB infected cow in Washington state in 25 years.
State agriculture veterinarians tested 1,350 at the dairy and say the 11 positive results were lower than expected. Spokesman Hector Castro said these are only initial tests and the 11 cows will be removed from the herd pending further testing. He said in most cases at least one to four percent of the cows in a herd where an infected cow is discovered test positive. A cow from that same dairy tested positive earlier this month at a slaughter house.
Castro said the infected cow initially came from a dairy in Snohomish County. All the cows at that dairy tested negative. Cows at an operation near the Moses Lake dairy also were also tested and came back T-B free. Castro said there will be more tests over the next several months.
Sally
3 Jan 2013, 6:43 PM
ALPENA COUNTY A dairy herd in Alpena County has tested positive for bovine Tuberculosis, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development says.
Routine bovine Tuberculosis surveillance testing confirmed the medium size dairty herd as 'bovine TB positive.'
Since the bovine TB eradication effort began, all of Michigan's 14,000 cattle farms have undergone TB testing. Since 1998, MDARD and the USDA have detected 55 TB positive cattle herds and four privately owned cervid operations in the northern section of Michigan's Lower Peninsula.
New Zealand has been spraying more poison from the area over great tracts of land in an effort to kill possums, believed to be the wildlife reservoir of bTB in New Zealand. The Animal Health Board (AHB) has recently completed the latest aerial possum control operations on the West Coast.
The aerial operations, using biodegradable sodium fluoroacetate (1080), support an extensive programme of ground-based control work which uses a combination of hand-laid toxins and traps. Apparently aerial control is necessary in some areas because of the difficult terrain - it is, we are told, quicker and more accurate.
Following the operations, public tracks were checked, and water samples were taken as required by the local medical officer of health. All apparently came back clear of 1080. The samples were extracted by an independent company and analysed by Landcare Research.
Warning signs were erected before the operation and are regularly checked to ensure they remain in place. The public are urged to carefully follow the instructions on these signs, which are placed at each major public access point to the operational areas.
It is the owner’s responsibility to keep their dog well away from any operational areas until all warning signs have been officially removed.
becky
31 Aug 2012, 1:15 PM
In an effort to ensure consistency and flexibility, the The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) formed the joint TB and Brucellosis Regulatory Working Group in September 2010 to develop the regulatory framework that was published in the Federal Register on May 6, 2011.
States and tribes will be required to develop animal health plans to outline their intended efforts for surveillance and mitigation of the diseases, including identification of recognized management areas (RMA) where there is a known source of TB or brucellosis in wildlife or domestic livestock. Surveillance will occur on two levels: national and targeted. Targeted surveillance will be required in the RMAs, source populations and at-risk populations. For captive cervids, there are no plans for routine slaughter surveillance, but collection and submission will be encouraged. However, testing must be done prior to interstate movement.
Livestock owners involved in showing cattle, rodeo and other cattle and bison events are considered a distinct risk category due to frequent interstate movement. For these animals, official identification will be required, as well as an interstate certification of veterinary inspection (ICVI) issued no more than 60 days before initial movement and no more than 180 days before subsequent interstate movement. Similar standards apply to captive cervids.
For cattle imports coming into the United States, livestock must originate from a country with surveillance standards meeting or exceeding U.S. requirements and with an APHIS-approved vaccination program for brucellosis and TB. Animals coming from countries where the diseases occur at rates less than 0.01 percent are not required to be tested other than certification of the animal’s origins. Others must have negative individual and whole-herd tests with restrictions subject to the exporting country’s status.
The USDA states that the cooperative federal-state-industry effort to eradicate bovine TB from cattle in the United States has made significant progress since the program’s inception in 95 years ago. The disease has nearly been eliminated from the livestock population of the United States, however, animal health officials continue to detect TB sporadically in livestock herds. As of July 2012, only two states do not have USDA accredited “free” status: California and Michigan.
Information from: www.agriview.com/news/livestock/usda-aphis-announces-proposed-joint-rule-for-bovine-tuberculosis-brucellosis/article_a5ba8694- f1f0-11e1-8fb4-0019bb2963f4.html
Sally
18 Aug 2012, 7:26 PM
According to The Herald, Scotland, (www.heraldscotland.com/business/farming/tb-outbreak-is-confirmed-in-dumfries-herd-market-round-up.18619107) a bTB outbreak has been confirmed in Dumfries. A number of cattle in a Dumfriesshire dairy herd are being slaughtered after testing positive for bovine TB.
The disease was initially identified in an abattoir. Testing is still under way on the holding where 340 cattle are kept, so it is not yet possible to say how many have been affected.
A spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said: "This case highlights the importance of good slaughterhouse surveillance as a supplement to the on-farm testing regime for the detection and control of TB.
"The case is being fully investigated, but there does not appear to be any implications for Scotland's bovine TB free status."
becky
3 Jul 2012, 6:33 PM
Johannesburg - Kruger National Park.
Johannesburg - Kruger National Park vets will destroy between 125 and 150 buffalo as part of a final research project on Bovine tuberculosis,
During the project, around 200 buffalo were fitted with radio monitoring collars and blood samples were taken every six months. After the animals are destroyed, tissue samples will be taken and analysed.
It is understood that bovine tuberculosis first infiltrated the park in the 1950s, when buffalo on its borders came into contact with infected cows. The first buffalo to succumb to tuberculosis died in 1990, but the disease had since spread to at least 12 other species, including lion, leopard, badgers and baboons.
Info from www.iol.co.za/scitech/science/environment/kruger-buffalo-struck-down-by-tb-1.1333004
becky
25 Jun 2012, 11:43 AM
MICHIGAN A medium sized dairy herd in Alpena County has tested positive for bovine TB.
Since the bovine TB eradication effort began, all of Michigan's 14,000 cattle farms have undergone TB testing. Since 1998, MDARD and USDA have detected 54 TB positive cattle herds and four privately owned cervid operations in the northern section of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.
In 2011, Presque Isle County’s TB status became Modified Accredited Advanced (MAA), which is one step closer to becoming bovine TB Free. The MAA Zone now includes Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Emmet, Otsego, and Presque Isle counties. The Upper Peninsula is Bovine TB Free; additionally in 2011, USDA moved the lower 57 counties of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula to TB Free status as well.
Info from: www.upnorthlive.com/news/story.aspx?id=768427
becky
13 Apr 2012, 6:16 PM
Scotland is officially bTB free. However the worst 'outbreak' in several years has seen the slaughter of 60 animals on a closed dairy farm at Ballencrieff, Bathgate, West Lothian. Apparently no cattle have been brought on to the farm since 1988. Movement restrictions have been imposed.
The Animal Health Veterinary Laboratory Agency is investigating the outbreak, which came to light when lesions were spotted by vets in a 13-year-old British Friesian cow sent for slaughter. A spokesman for NFU Scotland said it was a ‘low risk’ herd, which had been operated on a closed system and tested regularly under the four-year herd testing designation.
Both skin and gamma interferon tests were subsequently carried out on the whole herd, with a number of positive reactors identified in both screens.
Scotland has had a low and relatively stable incidence of bovine TB for many years, with the last case in January this year. Scotland’s official TB-free status will not be affected by this case. Within the British Isles, Scotland is in a uniquely privileged position with low disease incidence and no wildlife component impacting on our disease picture.
Info from www.farmersguardian.com/home/latest-news/sixty-cattle-slaughtered-after-bovine-tb-outbreak-in-scotland/46262.article
becky
16 Feb 2012, 5:57 PM
MICHIGAN State officials are ordering tests for cattle in parts of Michigan's northeastern Lower Peninsula after three wild deer were found to have bovine tuberculosis. The tests are required for cattle within a 10-mile radius of where each infected deer was killed during last year's hunting season in Presque Isle County.
Info from: www.hometownlife.com/usatoday/article/38586015?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CLivonia%7Cs
becky
15 Feb 2012, 5:53 PM
NEW ZEALAND www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/rural/6422521/A-million-plus-to-beat-bovine-TB
The Animal Health Board has asked Marlborough District Council to pay more than a million dollars toward the cost of bovine tuberculosis control over the next five years. $1.13 million was the council's share of $10.25m planned national spending.
The area is six months into a 15-year national pest management strategy aimed at reducing the 40 million hectares where TB-infected possums were found to 7.5 million hectares. This would be done by driving the number of possums so low that they were unlikely to interact with other animals and pass on the disease.
To discover whether the goal of eradicating TB from wildlife in extensive bush areas was realistic, the board would first focus on two forested blocks in the central North Island and southern South Island. Land would be classified into three TB control zones: eradication where there was a strong history of disease control, buffers to stop infection spreading, and infected herd suppression areas where New Zealand's remaining 70 TB-infected herds were found.
Apparently 75% of the council's funding of the board's TB programme came from rural landowners and 25% from the general rate.
becky
13 Feb 2012, 6:46 PM
More concern regarding use of 1080 poison to kill possums in Ne Zealand www.nzpolitics.com/new-zealand-politics/11826-nz-government-plans-poison-golden-bay.html
becky
31 Jan 2012, 6:57 PM
AUKLAND Cattle and deer herds in the Auckland region are again free of bovine tuberculosis (TB) now that an infected property on the Awhitu Peninsula has been cleared of the disease.
Info from www.voxy.co.nz/health/auckland-region-free-bovine-tb/5/113572
becky
31 Jan 2012, 4:18 PM
WINNIPEG NEAR KELWOOD -- Every time Darryl Munro's cattle are tested for bovine tuberculosis, at least a couple pregnant cows abort from the stress. With calves selling for up to $1,200 at 700- to 800-pound weights, that's no small hit to the pocketbook.
Plus, the bovine TB tests aren't very accurate. The cows are injected under the tail with a TB derivative. If a lump appears in 72 hours, it's supposed to indicate antibodies to TB, meaning TB exists.
Then a farm goes under quarantine. A blood sample is drawn from the animal and the result is usually back in a week.
The blood test almost always comes back negative.
Full story at www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/hard-time-for-cattle-ranchers-138309984.html
becky
26 Jan 2012, 6:57 PM
NEW ZEALAND The Animal Health Board is opposing a move by the Waikato Regional Council to scrap funding a long-running TB control programme, saying it could jeopardise the region's cattle.
The council has controversially proposed removing $825,000 funding for bovine tuberculosis control in possums and ferrets from its 10-year long-term plan from July because it is not core council business.
Council biosecurity and natural heritage group manager John Simmons said it fell low on the priority list and he felt it was time after more than 20 years of assistance that the Animal Health Board took responsibility for the national programme. Its funding contributions have ranged between $500,000 and $1.2 million.
The council's contributes about 12 per cent of the funding for the region with the Government and farmers also providing funds to monitor and a mix of controls including 1080, trapping and bait stations.
Info from www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10781479
New Zealand is frequently held up as a good example regarding bovine TB policy. The costs in terms of finance, hardship to farmers, devastation of wildlife are huge. This report shows the great lengths they have gone to 'try' to get it eradicated. This is a booklet giving personal accounts from those involved.
becky
7 Dec 2011, 6:21 PM
US MINNESOTA
ST. PAUL -- Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton 7/12/11 issued a proclamation proclaiming TB free day for the state’s cattle industry after 58 herds were destroyed and 800,000 animals tested. The federal government already had proclaimed Minnesota to be TB free, but today’s announcement was a celebration of the decision
When one cow in northwestern Minnesota was diagnosed with TB, along with some deer, it forced the federal government to restrict cattle movement out of the entire state, even from areas far removed from the northwest. That restriction was eased, but cattlemen still faced problems selling in other states.
No one at the Dayton announcement could provide an estimate about how much cattlemen or the state lost when other states refused to accept Minnesota cattle.
They also did not know how many head of cattle were killed to prevent TB from spreading, but Hartmann said 58 herds ranging from 25 to 550 head were destroyed.
Hartmann said the state now requires permits for cattle to come into the state, especially those from Mexico and those involved in rodeos because they may have a higher possibility of carrying TB.
The federal and state governments, assisted by funds from cattle producers statewide, bought out potentially infected herds to stop TB’s spread.
Info from www.wctrib.com/event/article/id/87418/group/homepage
becky
30 Nov 2011, 6:05 PM
SOUTH DAKOTA The Indiana Board of Animal Health is investigating the possibility some cattle imported to the state from South Dakota could be infected with bovine tuberculosis.
South Dakota agriculture officials notified the state recently that the animals may have been exposed to the disease before being shipped to Indiana.
Indiana officials stress so far, none of the imported cattle have tested positive for bovine TB.
Info from www.eaglecountryonline.com/news.php?nID=2614
The state's most recent case was identified in Dearborn County about a year ago. That herd has since been depopulated.
