Producers Contend With TB Scare
CANADA - Twenty-eight beef farms were quarantined last week and 470 cattle will be slaughtered after the discovery of a single case of bovine tuberculosis in Western Canada, but the events should have little impact on the industry.
20 November 2007
1 minute read
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Bovine Tuberculosis
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This past summer, the infected bull, along with 400 head of cattle from Vanderhoof, B.C., were sold at an auction in Innisfail, Alta. to over 20 farms. While it is unlikely the infection spread, the cattle on these farms, as well as several in British Columbia, have been quarantined, will be checked for bovine TB, and 470 cattle will be forced to slaughter.
McLaughlin resident Darcy Eddleston, a director with Alberta Beef Producers, says while it may hurt individual producers, it will have little impact on the cattle industry.
“This will be a big deal for the individual producers that had the animals, but with the industry as a whole, it has not changed our trading status,” said Eddleston, adding that trading status with the United States depends on a province being TB-free.
“A province is considered to be TB-free when no more than one herd is diagnosed as TB-positive and right now the United States has not changed Canada’s status on that,” said Eddleston.
Gerald Luterbach, Canadian Food Inspection Agency program manager of animal health for Western Canada, says while it is never welcome, the agency takes steps to deal with the cases.
“I think from the CFIA perspective, this is something we do on kind
Source: Meridian Booster
Further Reading
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- Find out more on Bovine Tuberculosis by clicking here. |
