By Jennifer Holton
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) is reporting a case of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in a beef herd from Alcona County, located in Michigan’s Modified Accredited Zone (MAZ). It was detected during the herd’s regular annual whole herd surveillance test. This is Michigan’s 83rd cattle herd to be identified with bovine TB since 1998, and the first bovine TB-infected herd detected since January 2022.
“The annual whole herd surveillance testing performed on all commercial cattle herds in the MAZ is a critical tool for identifying new cases of bovine TB, which then decreases the opportunities for the disease to spread,” said State Veterinarian Nora Wineland, DVM, MS, DACVPM. “Bovine TB is a persistent and challenging disease to address. Hunters, producers, academics, industry stakeholders, animal-health professionals, and state and federal agencies all have a vital role to play in combatting this disease and protecting animal and human health.”
Bovine TB is a bacterial disease that can affect all mammals, including humans. It is known to be present in the free-ranging white-tailed deer population in specific areas of northeastern lower Michigan, and the disease can be transmitted between deer and cattle. As a result, there are currently two TB zones within the state: a four-county area in northern lower Michigan called the Modified Accredited Zone and the remainder of the state is referred to as the Accredited Free Zone.
While state and federal agencies are taking significant steps to manage bovine TB, the continued hunting of deer in northeastern lower Michigan is an important tool in maintaining healthy deer and cattle populations.
Source : michigan.gov