Nebraska quarantines more cattle herds as cattle TB spreads

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) has quarantined additional herds as it continues to trace the locations of cattle involved in the ongoing bovine tuberculosis (TB) case.

Agriculture Director Greg Ibach announced on Wednesday (June 17) that 42 herds have been quarantined as part of the epidemiological investigation including the infected herd, up from 32 herds announced last week.

Ibach said the increase in quarantined herds is not unexpected as authorities continue to identify cattle that had the opportunity for contact with the TB-infected herd through fence line exposure.

He noted that the quarantine measures were just precautionary and that so far only one herd has had animals test positive for TB.

In addition to Rock, Holt, Loup, Boyd, and Brown counties, quarantined herds have also now been identified in Cedar, Colfax, Gage, Keya Paha, and Pierce counties.

Ibach said these counties were added based on cattle sales records from a fence line herd prior to the quarantine.

Animal health officials in Colorado and South Dakota also have been alerted to herds in their states which received animals from Nebraska herds prior to those herds being quarantined.