Producers who sold cattle to operations affected by bovine tuberculosis can soon expect a letter from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency outlining how they will aid in the investigation.
Rick James Davies, the agency’s chief inspector for Western Canada, says these trace-in herds represent the lowest risk, even though one of them could be the source of the infection.
Many of them won’t even be tested until next fall after they come in from pasture.
“Testing pregnant cows or cows that have just calved is in no one’s best interest,” he said. “It’s really an animal welfare issue.”
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Trace-in herds are those that have sold cattle to the infected premises within the last five years.
As of his Jan. 25 presentation to the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association semi-annual meeting, there were six confirmed cases of TB in a single herd from 18 operations. All the animals were co-mingled on two Alberta community pastures.
Fifty-eight premises and 28,000 animals were under quarantine; this includes seven quarantines on five premises in Saskatchewan. There are 1,200 Saskatchewan animals under quarantine and 650 from the infected premises were ordered destroyed.
Davies said the seven quarantines include two from the infected premises, four trace-out herds and one low-risk direct contact, such as fence line contact.
A complete quarantine is in effect on the infected premises but the others are only restricted from moving cattle.
Davies said the trace-in herds involved in the next step of the investigation don’t require quarantine at this time.
“For the vast majority of the producers, an interview, an on farm test and thank you for your co-operation and we’re all done,” he said.
The test involves an injection of tuberculin under the skin at the base of an animal’s tail. Three days later, CFIA staff will return to look for reaction.
“It’s normal to get a reaction rate of about two percent,” Davies said.
Some will only be a cross-reaction to avian TB but if the second test is suspicious then some individual animals may be ordered destroyed.
While the affected Alberta producers are eligible for compensation through AgriRecovery above what CFIA pays for destroyed animals, the province will compensate the four Saskatchewan producers involved.
Agriculture minister Lyle Stewart said he doesn’t expect the total will be more than $100,000 and it’s easier to fund that from the existing budget than to apply to the federal program.
“They’re satisfied with what we’re doing. It’s a very difficult situation for them,” he said.
“If the numbers get any bigger we’re going to have to go to the feds for a little help with that. With four operations only involved, it’s not a dramatic cost to the ministry at this point. On short notice we can get into that program if we need to.”
He said the compensation calculation is the same as Alberta is using.
Meanwhile, the depopulation from the infected premises is complete and cleaning and disinfection has begun. There is a 45-day period when no cattle are allowed on the premises and then restocking can begin.
Two follow-up tests will be done on the premises at six months and 18 months.
As part of the investigation 1,100 elk hunted in the Suffield, Alta., area have been tested and no positive cases have been found.
Saskatchewan producer Brian Weedon said there are many rumours that the elk are to blame, but Davies said there is no evidence.
“The strain of TB we’re dealing with has never been seen in Canada, has never been seen in wildlife in Canada, has never been seen in wildlife in the United States,” he said.
It was first found in Mexico in the 1990s and has been found in U.S. cattle.
Still, producers are worried that the elk indeed are the source.
Pat Hayes from Val Marie, Sask., noted that in Riding Mountain National Park in Manitoba it was eventually proven that elk were spreading TB.
In that case, once the province passed legislation requiring bales to be moved off fields and stored in secure bale yards so elk couldn’t access them, the problems in cattle dropped off. Elk and cattle still interact on pastures.
“We know we have positive elk,” Davies said. “The nature of those interactions doesn’t seem to be enough for the cattle to pick it up.”
