TB found in Montmorency herd
US - A cattle herd in Montmorency County has tested positive for bovine tuberculosis, making it the first case of 2007.
1 February 2007
1 minute read
The exposed herd was discovered last month during the state’s annual testing program for all commercial diary and beef herds.
The entire herd — estimated between 50 to 100 — has been flagged with positive TB and must be de-populated.
“We don’t really point out one animal,” said Bridget Patrick, bovine TB eradication project coordinator for the Department of Community Health. “Once one animal is confirmed, the whole herd is exposed to bovine TB.”
The owner will be given fair market value for the animals following an appraisal. After the herd is destroyed, the facilities are sterilized. In previous years, the state used a test and remove system with herds exposed with TB.
Each cow was tested during a five-year span, and animals that tested positive were destroyed. Now, the entire herd is destroyed immediately to prevent spreading of the disease.
Patrick said each animal receives an injection into the fold of its tail. If the animal gets a bump underneath its skin, a second test is administered. The animal is euthanized if it reacts to the second test, and the carcass is sent for an analysis.
Source: The Alpena News
