The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has confirmed a rare case of bovine tuberculosis in a five-year-old beef cow from a herd in Manitoba.
According to a CFIA news release issued May 8, the herd is located within 10 kilometres of Riding Mountain National Park, which is in the Riding Mountain Eradication Area (RMEA) that is considered to be at high risk for bovine TB.
No part of the infected cow entered either the human or animal food chain.
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The CFIA says the cow was tested in March 2008 under its enhanced surveillance program. The test result was considered suspicious and the animal was ordered destroyed. Tissue samples were sent to the CFIA lab in Ottawa for further analysis.
The infected cow was one of 240 in the herd, which was one of approximately 200 in the RMEA scheduled for testing in 2007-08.
The CFIA says the only proven way to stop a bovine TB outbreak when an infected herd is found is an immediate, humane destruction of all infected and exposed susceptible animals.
Bovine TB is not highly infectious, but it is a slow growing bacterial disease. It can infect all types of mammals, including humans. Infection usually occurs as a result of close contact with an infected animal.
The last case of bovine TB in Manitoba occurred in March 2004.
