Special Report

The continuing threat of bovine tuberculosis

Patton

Bovine tuberculosis is an ever-present threat to dairy cattle across the country. The disease can be carried by a variety of infected wildlife and even infected people.  Dr. Elisabeth Patton DVM with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) was talking tuberculosis at one of the Learning Lodges in the Hall of Ideas trade show at the PDPW annual business conference.

Patton says we have made enormous strides in fighting the disease but it still pops-up every now-and-then. The ease of transmission makes those incidences a potential threat to a large number of livestock.  The changing face of the dairy industry adds to the threat in that cattle are moved from herd to herd more often as herds expand and heifers are raised by contract growers.  Today’s larger herds also means one infected cow can be an immediate threat to hundreds or even thousands of herdmates.

Another threat comes from employees, Patton cites a case in North Dakota last year when an infected worker spread the disease to some cattle. Fortunately, North Dakota’s public health officials quickly notified state agriculture officials and the situation was resolved quickly and with minimal loss.

Dr. Patton says Wisconsin is working on a similar protocol where the Department of Health, Department of Natural Resources and DATCP communicate with each other should one department be made aware of an infection.

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