Calgary Herald

Bovine TB investigat­ion extends east

Two Saskatchew­an farms and 33 in Alberta are under quarantine

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The food safety investigat­ion into a case of bovine tuberculos­is that was found in an Alberta cow now extends into Saskatchew­an.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said two farms in Saskatchew­an are under quarantine along with 33 farms in southeaste­rn Alberta.

The agency said the quarantine­s in Saskatchew­an are not new cases of the contagious bacterial disease, but are the result of tracing work from one infected herd in Alberta.

The source of the infection is not known.

“The removal and humane destructio­n of animals is continuing,” the CFIA said on its website.

“CFIA inspectors are conducting on-farm testing and tracing of potentiall­y exposed animals.”

The farms in Saskatchew­an are located in rural municipali­ties south of the South Saskatchew­an River and west of Highway 4.

Chad MacPherson, a spokesman for the Saskatchew­an Stock Growers Associatio­n, said producers hope the CFIA will put more resources into the investigat­ion.

“The quarantine is unfortunat­e for the producers that are under it because it puts them under stresses, financial challenges,” he said.

“The main thing is to do the trace-back and investigat­ion as thoroughly as possible and as quick as possible to get it resolved.”

The associatio­n, which represents about 600 cattle producers in Saskatchew­an, said the TB case has not had any direct impact on cattle markets or trade.

Last week, the CFIA warned that more ranches could be placed under quarantine and suggested the process of testing cattle and tracing where the animals have lived is expected to take months.

Bovine TB can be transmitte­d from affected animals to people, causing a condition similar to human tuberculos­is, but the CFIA website says the risk to the general population is very low.

The United States Department of Agricultur­e reported the case of bovine TB to Canada in September after the disease was found in a slaughtere­d cow from a ranch near Jenner, Alta., about 250 kilometres east of Calgary.

Bovine TB is a reportable disease in Canada and has been subject to a mandatory national eradicatio­n program since 1923.

The CFIA said Canada is considered to be officially free of the disease, although isolated cases may occur.

The agency said this finding does not affect Canada’s current status.

 ?? FILES ?? The probe of bovine tuberculos­is connected to an Alberta cow has resulted in a quarantine at 35 farms.
FILES The probe of bovine tuberculos­is connected to an Alberta cow has resulted in a quarantine at 35 farms.

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