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TB outbreak spurs Ky. to ban Texas, Neb. cattle

By TIM THORNBERRY
Kentucky Correspondent

FRANKFORT, Ky. — In an effort to keep diseased livestock from entering Kentucky, State Veterinarian Robert C. Stout has imposed restrictions on certain animals coming from Nebraska and Texas after tuberculosis (TB) was detected in cattle there.

A ban from one Texas county has also been imposed due to a diagnosis of vesicular stomatitis (VS) in a horse.

The nation’s first case of VS since 2006 came in Starr County, Texas. The sporadic virus is native to the U.S. and usually shows up in the southwest. Signs of VS include blisters, lesions and sloughing of the skin on the muzzles, tongue, teats and above the hooves. VS can affect horses, cattle, sheep, pigs, deer and some other species of animals.

“The very best way to manage these diseases is to keep them from getting into Kentucky’s livestock in the first place,” Stout said. “Kentucky’s livestock industry generates about $3 billion a year in cash receipts to farmers every year. We will do everything we can under the law to protect this vital sector of Kentucky agriculture.”
The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) confirmed the discovery of TB earlier this month after dairy cows in a west Texas herd responded to a test given in April prior to a sale. The animals were quarantined at that time.

“The infected herd remain quarantined while the final disposition of the herd is determined – either slaughtering the herd, or repeatedly testing and removing infected animals until the herd is free of cattle TB,” said Dr. Bob Hillman, Texas’ state veterinarian and head of the TAHC.

Hillman added that, “Cattle TB is a serious, transmissible disease that can spread among herds. In the early 1900s, when the national cattle TB eradication program was initiated, more than five percent of the country’s herds were infected with the disease. At that time, cattle TB posed a significant human health threat, because consumers could become infected when they drank raw, unpasteurized milk that had not been through heat-treatment to kill bacteria. Today, commercially produced milk is pasteurized. While bovine TB is still a human health threat, other forms of tuberculosis, such as the human and avian strains, now pose the greatest risk of TB exposure to persons.”

Texas had been classified as free of cattle TB since September of 2006, but could lose that USDA status if the infected dairy cannot be depopulated, or if a second infected herd is detected within 48 months according to Hillman.

Nebraska reported the TB discovery there early last month in a Rock County beef herd.

Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) State Veterinarian Dr. Dennis Hughes said, “The testing of these animals will take a significant amount of time. We will be working to determine the source of the infection, and the extent of the spread of the disease. Neighboring premises are being contacted to determine if the disease has spread beyond the original premise.”

Nebraska Agriculture Director, Greg Ibach, said, “Locating all cattle that have had possible exposure to the TB-affected herd through the fence lines is critical because bovine TB is primarily transmitted through nose to nose contact. We have had outstanding support from producers as we’ve tackled this task.”

The investigation has led to the quarantine of approximately 42 herds in 11 counties. The number of cattle in these herds that will require testing totals approximately 15,000, according to information from the NDA.

“The increase in quarantined herds is not unexpected as we continue to identify cattle that had the opportunity for contact with the TB-infected herd through fence line exposure,” Ibach said. “We also are reviewing the records of sales made from the TB-infected herd over the past two years, so additional quarantines may occur.”
Ibach added, “This is all part of a responsible, thorough epidemiological investigation. This foundation is critical to determining the scope of the problem and moving aggressively to address it. That said, I want to emphasize that these quarantines do not represent assured exposure to TB. Just because a fence line is shared, does not mean the two herds necessarily had contact. It’s important to remember that at this time, only one herd has had animals test positive for TB.”

Livestock plays big in Nebraska and Texas as well as Kentucky so keeping animals free from disease in these states is a top priority of their agriculture institutions.

The Nebraska Beef Council reports that state places third nationally in beef cattle production with 20,000 beef cow operations and nearly 2 million head.

Texas ranks number one in the country with more than 5 million beef cows and 150,000 cow operations according to Texas Farm Bureau.

Kentucky is the No. 1 cattle producing state east of the Mississippi and is home to a storied horse industry worth approximately $4 billion.

For more information or for updates, go to the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s website, www.kyagr.com, and click on “animal health” or call the Office of the State Veterinarian at 502-564-3956.

7/1/2009