Regional News
2nd case of bovine TB in quarantined Neb. herd
Published Friday, June 05, 2009 at 05:15 PM
By NELSON LAMPE Associated Press Writer

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- Another animal with bovine tuberculosis has been found in a quarantined north-central Nebraska cattle herd.

State agriculture director Greg Ibach said Friday that authorities have given TB tests to the entire herd at the Rock County operation, but so far only one additional animal was diagnosed with the disease.

Tests after it was killed confirmed the diagnosis.

The first case was detected more than three weeks ago by a federal inspector at a slaughterhouse, after the animal was killed. The inspector condemned the carcass so it would not enter the food chain, a Nebraska official said Friday.

Experts say bovine TB can't be contracted from eating meat from an infected animal, but the beef industry is taking no chances.

"We err on the side of an abundance of caution," Ibach said, so consumers can be certain of a safe food supply.

It took two days for authorities to trace that animal back to the Rock County cow-calf operation, said department spokeswoman Christin Kamm, and Ibach said no cattle left the herd before the quarantine could be imposed.

Ibach said both cows were bought at a Nebraska auction, but he couldn't yet say who placed them for consignment sale or whether the auction house routinely brought in cattle from other states or countries.

Ibach would not identify the herd's owner or say how many cattle were in the herd.

The rest of the herd passed the first TB test, but all its members must pass eight consecutive tests before the quarantine can be lifted, Ibach said.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the herd owner are still discussing the best ways to control and contain the disease.

Experts say tuberculosis is a contagious disease of animals and humans, caused by three types of bacteria.

Bovine TB can be transmitted from livestock to humans, but that's exceedingly rare. It can be transmitted to other animals.

The disease is easily transmitted through a herd of cattle through nose-to-nose contact. It causes severe coughing, fatigue, emaciation and debilitation.

The Rock County outbreak threatens the state's status as being tuberculosis-free. Losing that would put Nebraska's roughly $10 billion cattle industry at a competitive disadvantage, industry experts say.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says Nebraska started the year with 6.35 million head of cattle and calves.

Kamm says the state's last outbreak occurred in the early 1990s and that the state has been designated tuberculosis-free for the past 17 years.

On Wednesday, the state began notifying operators near the quarantined herd about their herds' possible exposure, along fence lines, for example. Kamm said she suspected the herd's owner probably already told his neighbors about the possible threat.

Ibach plans to brief cattle producers next Thursday at the Nebraska Ranch Expo in Bassett on the tuberculosis outbreak.

Kamm and Ibach both encouraged people to call the department with any questions about the outbreak. The number: 800-831-0550.

© 2010 The Nebraska Rural Radio Association. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Nebraska Headlines from AP
KTIC Classifieds ROS_KTIC_MARKETS_ALL Syngenta Three Q's KTIC Tri County Ag Service ROS_KTIC_MARKETS_ALL KTIC Great Nebraska Tractor Ride