A West Michigan roping cattle herd has been confirmed positive for bovine tuberculosis after a trace investigation during processing linked two cattle to a Indiana TB outbreak.
The infected animals from an Ottawa County farm originated from a herd in Indiana that later tested positive for bovine TB. Two beef herds and one white-tail deer were confirmed positive in Franklin County, Indiana in 2016.
Acting assistant state veterinarian Jarold Goodrich says in Michigan, all cattle moving off any farm or property must have a radio-frequency identification ear tag to trace where animals have traveled during a disease emergency.
A three-mile surveillance area sounding the Ottawa County farm has been established. Farms in the area will have six months to complete bovine TB testing.
An information meeting is set for March 6th in Grandville for producers to learn how the findings impact them.
Michigan, Indiana, South Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Texas are currently dealing with bovine TB infected herds.
Source: Brownfield Ag News