EMMET COUNTY -- The Michigan Department of Agriculture is holding an informational meeting for Emmet County cow producers, after the United States Department of Agriculture classified a farm as being infected with bovine TB.
Previous routine bovine Tuberculosis (TB) surveillance testing conducted by the MDA found a bovine TB positive herd in Emmet County in March, 2010. During the depopulation of the herd, a breeding bull was found to be infected.
During MDA's outbreak investigation of the herd it was discovered the bull was leased to another producer in Emmet County.
On August 13, 2010, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) classified the farm as being infected with bovine TB. This is the second infected herd in Northern Lower Michigan's Modified Accredited Advanced Zone (MAAZ).
An informational meeting for Emmet County producers is scheduled for Thursday, September 16, 2010 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the West Traverse Township Hall at 8001 M-119 in Harbor Springs.
At this meeting, Dr. Averill will discuss herd investigation, impact to producers and the community, and answer any questions.
"We have tested or scheduled all the cattle herds within a 10-mile radius circle around the positive herd that was identified last March, and they have been negative so far," said Dr. James Averill, MDA's bovine TB project coordinator. "The trace investigation is almost complete and only this herd was found to be exposed to a lesioned animal. With this additional herd designation, the status of the MAAZ is a concern as four positive cattle herds in a year may cause a drop in our status. We’ve tested 67 farms in the special surveillance circle test.”
On January 4, 2010, MDA, in coordination with USDA, expanded the MAAZ to include Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Emmet, and Otsego counties. The goal is to return bovine TB Free status to the entire state and testing is an effective way to prevent bovine TB from spreading to other herds. MDA is working to move a majority of the MAAZ to TB Free status while maintaining MAAZ status for the above listed counties along with Presque Isle County.
"With the continued presence of bovine TB in the wild white-tailed deer population in Northern Lower Michigan, Emmet County herd producers need to utilize wildlife risk mitigation systems to protect their investments," said Averill. "As a reminder, producers should use such tools as disease control permits, fencing, and sound livestock management practices to reduce the risk of disease.”
While infection can occur by nose-to-nose direct contact, infection is much more likely to occur through indirect transmission through contaminated feed. Beef and dairy farmers can decrease the risk of exposing their cattle to bovine TB by limiting cattle-to-deer contact and protecting cattle feed from deer.
This Emmet County herd is the fourth TB affected herd identified in Michigan in 2010 - a beef herd in Alcona County, and another in Alpena County are in the Modified Accredited Zone (MAZ) where the disease is most prevalent.
The current bovine TB eradication effort began in 1998, and all of Michigan's one million cattle were tested by the end of 2003. Testing continues in the state for movement from one farm to another. Since 1998, MDA and USDA have detected 50 cattle herds and four privately owned cervid operations. These premises either have been depopulated or the herds were quarantined and placed under a test-and-remove program.
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