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Brucellosis found in second cow in Montana

Disease can also be found in pigs, dogs, goats, and sheep

By Diego Flammini, Farms.com

For the second time since the beginning of December and the fifth time in eight years, officials involved with livestock in the state of Montana announced a confirmed case of brucellosis.

The disease can cause the infected animal to abort their pregnancy and can affect humans as well. Should someone come into contact with an infected animal or products from that animal, it could result in fevers, body pain, and even miscarriages and birth defects if a pregnant woman comes into contact with the virus.

Officials discovered the infected cow after is returned from grazing in Montana’s Designated Surveillance Area (DSA). The rest of the herd is under quarantine and will be tested.

State veterinarian Dr. Marty Zaluski isn’t too worried about the disease spreading.

“Based on the cow’s test history – a negative test last year after exiting the DSA, but a positive this year – it’s likely that the exposure occurred within the DSA in 2014 and that there is minimal risk to cattle producers in Carbon County,” said Zaluski. “That’s an infection rate of less than one-tenth of one percent.”

Normally, two positive brucellosis in such a small period would result in the state losing their “disease-free” status from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Federal officials have since eased up on their regulations and the state will not lose the disease-free designation.
 


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The 12-day war between Iran-Israel came to an end sending crude oil futures plunging as the big fund speculators removed the war risk premium.

The weather risk premium in the Ag complex is sending corn, wheat and soybean futures lower on month-end selling ahead of the market moving USDA quarterly grain stocks and acreage reports on June 30th.

Instead, funds were chasing and sending tech stocks higher with the S&P 500/NASDAQ indexes setting new all-time record highs!

June 1 USDA Hogs and pigs report was slightly bearish while the U.S. $ Index traded to new contract lows as the de-dollarization that began in 2014 continues.

Feed in the form of soybean meal futures for livestock producers got cheaper, trading to new contract lows.

The Stats Canada seeded acreage update was bullish canola and wheat.