TB and United States Animal Health Association

by Dr. Leonard E. Eldridge, DVM

Risk of TB

 Recently, we received notification from USDA that a TB exposed dairy heifer entered Washington in 2006.  The heifer originated from a herd in Texas that recently tested  positive at a dispersal sale.  A brand inspection and a Texas ear tag identified the heifer  when she left Texas.  The heifer traveled from Texas to Colorado, then onto a sales yard

in California.  From the sales yard in California, she was sold to a buyer in Washington, who then sold her to a Washington backgrounder. The heifer lost her Texas ID tag  sometime between leaving California and entering Washington and the trail has gone  cold with only the brand to look for.

 Recently, Dr. Hillman, Texas State Veterinarian, informed me that the strain of TB in Texas is very contagious and that we must find this heifer to ensure that she has not brought TB into our state.  This emphasizes the need to have a better way to track animals that may be bringing diseases into our state.  One issue I see is the lost official identification tag  and the second issue I see is that we are looking for a specific brand on one cow that may have changed ownership by a self-inspection form and my office has no record of the change of ownership or where the cow is today.  The heifer may have already gone to harvest, in which case we all are in a quandary.  If we cannot find this cow and prove she does not have TB, we maybe testing several dairies and because of a possible self-inspection form, we could possibly be testing the wrong dairies.  I want to emphasize that exposed means we do not know her disposition only that she originated from a recently identified TB infected herd.  We are presently searching our records to identify herds where she may be and will ask livestock owners to cooperate with the Livestock Brand Inspection Program in looking for the brand. The Holstein cow is carrying a 

(T E combined) on the right rib.

 

United States Animal Health Association Meeting

 Last week I attended the United States Animal Health Association (USAHA) annual conference in San Diego, California.   This is a conference where state veterinarians attend and work to set policy and procedures dealing with animal health activities at the national level.  This year at USAHA, State Veterinarians put forth a resolution that would allow all information on livestock locations to be kept by the state and only shared with other states and the USDA when there is a need to investigate.  This is essentially the way we have been identifying cattle   for the last forty years, using Bangs vaccination records, health certificates, and so forth.  USDA officials that were at the USAHA conference said they are waiting for the Secretary of Agriculture’s decision on how animal identification will move forward. I hope the Secretary has listened to the concerns of livestock owners that were brought forward at the listening sessions and recommend a system that works for the livestock owner and allows us to move forward improving our ability in the way we are tracking animals. I also hope that the information is kept at the state level, as it is today, and that it remains voluntary within the state.

At the USAHA meeting, State Veterinarians looked at how cattle were being moved and defined the process as “risky” business. Some of the practices that are happening today that are defined as high risk are:

   1.     allowing high-risk feeder cattle and rodeo cattle co-mingle with

           breeding cattle,

2.     allowing co-mingling of breeding cattle with untested feeder cattle  at restricted feedlots,

3.     stopping brucellosis testing at sales yards and slaughter facilities,

4.     the lack of an animal identification system that facilitates

        traceability,

5.     not verifying untested feeder and slaughter cattle when they reach their stated destination.

 In Washington, we are taking steps to lower that risk by putting a second test for TB on all Mexican cattle and cattle that co-mingle with Mexican cattle, this includes testing yearly on all rodeo cattle. We have also written rules (WAC 16-30) that keep all untested feeder cattle in slaughter channels so that they do not co-mingle with breeding cattle. We are also working hard on creating a unified database information system that will allow us to track animals based on brand documents and the existing systems  we have in place today.

 USDA Brucellosis & TB Programs

 At the meeting, USDA officials announced that they do not have funding and resources  to continue with brucellosis and TB programs as they have been doing in the past.

USDA has provided concept papers for both programs that will allow the limited resources to be focused on areas of identified infection and eliminate the state status reduction, thus, allowing cattle to move in states where there is no risk even though in other parts of the state there is infection. The concept papers can be viewed on-line at:

Brucellosis link:  http://www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom

Tuberculosis link:  http://www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom

 West Nile Virus Update

 As of October 20, 2009, there have been 70 confirmed cases of WNV reported to my office. With the temperatures starting to drop and freeze in different parts of the state, the mosquito activity will cease and we will see fewer cases. 

Agri Beef Co. Update

I have been receiving questions about the investigation of the untested Canadian cattle that co-mingled with Washington breeding cattle. This is an ongoing investigation and a more complete response to questions will be done once the investigation is complete.  My first goal is to make sure that all the cattle are tested and verified that there has been no risk to our breeding herds. I am pleased to report that all but approximately 20 head have been tested, and so far, all have reported negative for TB. My hope is that I can find the Texas heifer and verify she is negative like we are cooperating with all involves on the feeder cattle from Canada.