North Dakota Animal Tests Positive for Bovine TB
US - A North Dakota Beef herd is being tested for bovine tuberculosis, following the identification of a cow with a TB lesion at a Minnesota meat processing plant.
9 December 2008
1 minute read
"We are in the early stages of the investigation, and complete results of the herd tests won’t be known for several weeks," said Dr. Susan Keller, state veterinarian.
Keller said that a suspect lesion on the animal was detected through routine inspection at a processing plant in Long Prairie, MN, and that pathological tests at the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, IA, confirmed the diagnosis of bovine TB. A traceback determined that the animal came from a livestock operation in southwestern North Dakota.
North Dakota has been officially TB-free since Jan. 1, 1976. Under federal guidelines, that status remains in effect. The last time a North Dakota herd tested positive for the disease was in 1999 in Morton County.
A chronic bacterial disease that affects primarily cattle, bovine TB can be transmitted to any warm-blooded animal. In its early stages, clinical signs are not visible, making diagnosis difficult. Later symptoms may include low-grade fever, lethargy, emaciation, anorexia, pneumonia, chronic coughing and lymph node enlargement.
Further Reading
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