Del.icio.us  Digg  facebook  MySpace  Twitter  Google  Bookmark Me  LinkedIn  StumbleUpon  Permalink

North Dakota Cow Confirmed TB

Tests conducted at the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, have confirmed the presence of tuberculosis in a beef cow in North Dakota. The problem was confirmed after the identification of the cow with a TB lesion at a meat processing plant in Long Prairie, Minnesota. North Dakota State veterinarian Dr. Susan Keller said the suspect lesion was detected through routine inspection at the processing plant. A traceback determined that the animal came from a livestock operation in southwestern North Dakota.

North Dakota has been officially TB-free since Jan. 1, 1976. Under federal guidelines, that status remains in effect. The last time a North Dakota herd tested positive for the disease was in 1999 in Morton County. No other herds were found within two years of that herd's depopulation, allowing the state to retain its TB-free status.

Keller said the investigation into the current case is still in its early stages, and complete results of the herd tests won't be known for several weeks.