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State beef cattle industry dealt setback with another bovine TB discovery
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The state's beef cattle industry has suffered a crucial setback with news that a Beltrami County herd has tested positive for bovine tuberculosis.
This is the fourth positive herd detected since October 2007, the state Board of Animal Health reports this morning, and it will likely result in the downgrade of Minnesota's bovine TB status, as required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Since bovine TB was discovered in a northwest Minnesota beef cattle herd in July 2005, the disease investigation has found 11 infected beef cattle herds, all in Roseau and Beltrami counties.
USDA regulations call for a downgrade in status when more than three herds are detected within a 12-month period.
The downgrade moves Minnesota to the third of five status levels and two steps away from the highest status level, TB-free.
When the downgrade becomes official, state producers will have to adhere to stricter federal and state testing requirements when shipping cattle or bison.
"All Minnesota producers planning to ship animals interstate should still contact their veterinarian to determine state import requirements prior to movement," said Board of Animal Health Executive Director and State Veterinarian Dr. Bill Hartmann. "Individual state import requirements may differ from federal requirements, so it's important to verify them prior to shipment."
Hartmann added: "While the downgrade in our status is a setback, we are committed to eliminating this disease from the state."
Human exposure to bovine tuberculosis through the milk or meat supply is extremely unlikely, the Board of Animal Health says. Meat inspectors check all cattle entering the marketplace for signs of the disease before and after slaughter. Any animal showing these signs is withheld from the food supply. In addition, adequate cooking destroys the bacteria. Further, the milk pasteurization process at processing plants destroys any potential bacteria.
PAUL WALSH
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