IN NURSERY rhymes, cows jump over the moon. In the United States, they can’t even jump across the 49th parallel into Western Canada in summer without first being tested for bluetongue.
That is about to change. And change it should, with all possible speed.
Canada’s testing requirement was implemented in the 1970s due to fears that American cattle could spread bluetongue to Canadian ruminants. Only four cases of bluetongue have been found in Canada since 1975, all of them in sheep.
Subsequent studies have shown the insect that transmits the blood disease cannot survive Canadian winters.
