Caustic Burno
Well-known member
TSCRA e-xpress: News
Texas regains bovine TB-free status from USDA
FORT WORTH, Texas, October 5, 2006‑ The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Oct. 3 that Texas has regained its bovine tuberculosis-free (TB) status.
Since losing the status in 2002, after two infected herds were found, the Texas cattle industry had operated under movement restrictions required by USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
Shortly after the status downgrade, a TB task force of industry and government officials was created to address the serious challenge. Led by Richard Traylor, TSCRA director and chairman of the Texas Animal Health Commission, the task force developed a five-point plan to put the industry on a solid path to regaining free status.
The centerpiece of this plan included a thorough disease surveillance process that involved testing more than 350,000 cows in Texas dairies and almost 129,000 beef cattle in 2,014 of the state's seedstock or purebred herds.
This testing policy has helped ensure that all TB infection was detected and eliminated and effective surveillance of the disease was upheld.
Other measures in the plan included improved inspection of carcasses by USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service; yearly testing requirements for roping and rodeo steers imported from Mexico; and reducing the risk posed by Mexican-origin feeder cattle, while continuing work with Mexican states to control and eradicate TB.
The new status will have an immediate effect for cattle producers. Breeding and dairy cattle may now be shipped from Texas to other states without first being tested for TB.
However, it will still be necessary to check with the states of destination prior to shipping because of time required for various state animal health officials to update regulations recognizing Texas new status.
The TB-free designation will also allow all cattle originating in Texas to be transported to regional and statewide stock shows and fairs without a TB test.
This is great news for Texas cattle producers, said TSCRA President Dick Sherron. The challenge to regain Texas free status was taken seriously by TSCRAs leadership. Policy adopted by the association in 2002 served as the impetus behind the states five-point plan, Sherron explained.
Bovine tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium bovis and can be transmitted from livestock to humans and other animals. It has caused more losses among U.S. farm animals during the beginning of this century than all other infectious diseases combined.
Bovine TB is a chronic disease that sometimes is not evident until the infected animal is slaughtered. Livestock can become infected by sharing a common watering place contaminated with saliva and other discharges from infected deer and other free-ranging wildlife.
Dr. Bob Hillman, Texas state veterinarian, urges cattle producers to take precautions to ensure that this new TB-free status will remain intact and that herds in Texas will remain free of TB.
Texas regains bovine TB-free status from USDA
FORT WORTH, Texas, October 5, 2006‑ The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Oct. 3 that Texas has regained its bovine tuberculosis-free (TB) status.
Since losing the status in 2002, after two infected herds were found, the Texas cattle industry had operated under movement restrictions required by USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
Shortly after the status downgrade, a TB task force of industry and government officials was created to address the serious challenge. Led by Richard Traylor, TSCRA director and chairman of the Texas Animal Health Commission, the task force developed a five-point plan to put the industry on a solid path to regaining free status.
The centerpiece of this plan included a thorough disease surveillance process that involved testing more than 350,000 cows in Texas dairies and almost 129,000 beef cattle in 2,014 of the state's seedstock or purebred herds.
This testing policy has helped ensure that all TB infection was detected and eliminated and effective surveillance of the disease was upheld.
Other measures in the plan included improved inspection of carcasses by USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service; yearly testing requirements for roping and rodeo steers imported from Mexico; and reducing the risk posed by Mexican-origin feeder cattle, while continuing work with Mexican states to control and eradicate TB.
The new status will have an immediate effect for cattle producers. Breeding and dairy cattle may now be shipped from Texas to other states without first being tested for TB.
However, it will still be necessary to check with the states of destination prior to shipping because of time required for various state animal health officials to update regulations recognizing Texas new status.
The TB-free designation will also allow all cattle originating in Texas to be transported to regional and statewide stock shows and fairs without a TB test.
This is great news for Texas cattle producers, said TSCRA President Dick Sherron. The challenge to regain Texas free status was taken seriously by TSCRAs leadership. Policy adopted by the association in 2002 served as the impetus behind the states five-point plan, Sherron explained.
Bovine tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium bovis and can be transmitted from livestock to humans and other animals. It has caused more losses among U.S. farm animals during the beginning of this century than all other infectious diseases combined.
Bovine TB is a chronic disease that sometimes is not evident until the infected animal is slaughtered. Livestock can become infected by sharing a common watering place contaminated with saliva and other discharges from infected deer and other free-ranging wildlife.
Dr. Bob Hillman, Texas state veterinarian, urges cattle producers to take precautions to ensure that this new TB-free status will remain intact and that herds in Texas will remain free of TB.
