A Colorado rodeo bull has undergone a necropsy to determine whether it carried bovine tuberculosis as part of an investigation that, so far, has found one other animal testing positive in the state for the disease.
Tests are expected to be completed next week.
Infected cattle must be found in two or more separate herds before the U.S. Department of Agriculture can yank a state's TB Accredited Free State status, said Terry Fankhauser, executive vice president of the Colorado Cattlemen's Association.
Colorado Agriculture Department spokeswoman Christi Lightcap said the bull now being tested was found in a separate herd from the other that tested positive.
The state's cattle industry could lose its tuberculosis-free accreditation if the bull now being tested has the disease. The animal has been in at least a dozen states. "Other states are keeping a close eye on this," said Lightcap.
