Texas confirms TB in quarantined dairy herds

Cattle tuberculosis (TB) has been confirmed in a west Texas dairy that has been quarantined since April when some cattle in the herd responded to a TB test being conducted prior to a sale.

The cattle TB diagnosis was confirmed at the National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa.

Texas' state veterinarian Bob Hillman said the infected herd remains quarantined while the final disposition of the herd is determined ­ either slaughtering the herd, or repeatedly testing and removing infected animals until the herd is free of cattle TB.

Hillman said dairy, calf-raising and dairy animal replacement operations with epidemiological links to the infected herd are being tested to determine both the origin and potential spread of the disease.

He said that Texas' cattle TB-free status with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) could be at risk, if the infected dairy cannot be depopulated, or if a second infected herd is detected within 48 months.

Currently, California and Minnesota are not cattle TB-free, and areas in Michigan and New Mexico have specified zones that are not TB-free.