Several Manitoba cattle herds are undergoing rigorous testing after a
Minnesota slaughter plant discovered that a culled cow appeared to have
bovine tuberculosis.
According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, it is likely the cow
was in a shipment of cattle sent to the slaughter plant from western
Manitoba late last year.
But it’s not yet clear whether Manitoba cattle producers have anything
to worry about.
First of all, it needs to be confirmed that the culled cow had bovine
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tuberculosis.
Although preliminary tests showed the cow had the disease, the final
results were not in as of April 8. The testing is being done in the
United States.
Meanwhile, there is some doubt about whether the culled cow originated
in Manitoba.
The cow was thought to be part of a shipment of 30 cattle assembled
from different areas of Manitoba and exported from Brandon. The CFIA
has sales records showing where those cattle came from but the
particular cow was either missing an ear tag or its number was not
recorded. That leaves uncertainty about whether the suspect animal came
from Manitoba.
“I can’t say how the USDA will deal with that issue,” said Blaine
Thompson, CFIA veterinary program specialist.
In the meantime, the food inspection agency is trying to find out
whether there is a cattle herd in Manitoba infected with bovine TB.
That includes testing all the herds that supplied cattle for the
shipment to Minnesota.
Fifteen of the 19 herds had undergone testing as of April 8, Thompson
said, with no sign of the disease.
Unless an infected herd is found in Manitoba, the health status of the
province’s cattle and domestic bison herds should not change, said
Maria Koller, a senior staff veterinarian with the CFIA’s animal health
division.
However, if an infected herd is found, Manitoba could lose its
tuberculosis-free status, according to the standards of the United
States Department of Agriculture. Then the CFIA would work to have
zoning implemented, so that the loss of tuberculosis-free status would
apply only to the area from where infection could spread.
Once the zoning was in place, cattle and bison breeding stock would
have to undergo testing and be properly identified through tagging
before leaving the area of disease. Movement permits would also be
required, Thompson said.
“At this point I can’t predict which way it’s going to go.”
Included in the shipment of 30 cattle were animals from the Riding
Mountain area of western Manitoba.
A year ago, a small herd of cattle north of Riding Mountain National
Park was destroyed after tuberculosis was found in one animal.
Under USDA standards, a province risks losing its TB-free status if at
least two outbreaks of the disease are found in cattle or domestic
bison herds within a 48-month period.
Wild elk in the Riding Mountain area are now considered a reservoir for
the disease. Strategies are being developed to limit the risk of wild
elk mingling with cattle herds around the park.
