An Alberta farm has been quarantined after a positive case of tuberculosis was detected in a cow shipped to the United States for slaughter.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is investigating and the index herd will be tested, said Rob McNabb of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association.
“They detected some lesions and cultured it and then confirmed and USDA notified CFIA. They are just at the early stage of doing the testing and investigation,” McNabb said.
The case was detected in September and was reported on the CFIA website.
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Bovine tuberculosis is a contagious and reportable disease in Canada. One case does not affect trade, but there could be repercussions if the disease is found to be more widespread.
“Most of our experience is that these are isolated incidents of one offs and we will keep our fingers crossed that that is the case here,” said McNabb.
The last case was found in 2011 in British Columbia. The disease is also found in elk and deer in and around Rounding Mountain National Park in Manitoba and wood bison in northern Alberta and the Northwest Territories in and around Wood Buffalo National Park, according to the CFIA website.
Producers around Riding Mountain National Park are required to have their herds tested for tuberculosis periodically to protect animal health and maintain market access. Testing has been ongoing since 2000, and 32 herds in the area were tested last year.
Contact barbara.duckworth@producer.com
