Post by AnnB (NE) on Aug 9, 2008 3:19:59 GMT -5
TUBERCULOSIS, BOVINE - USA (06): (NEW MEXICO), LOSS OF STATUS
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A ProMED-mail post
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ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
Date: Thu 7 Aug 2008
Source: Carlsbad Current Argus [edited]
<http://www.currentargus.com/ci_10133160>
New Mexico to lose bovine tuberculosis free status
--------------------------------------------------
New Mexico is within days of losing its bovine tuberculosis [TB] free
status, according to New Mexico Cattle Growers' Association (NMCGA)
President Alisa Ogden of Loving. The loss will be triggered by
publication of an emergency rule in the Federal Register by the US
Department of Agriculture [USDA], which is expected by mid August
[2008] at the latest and will become effective immediately, she reported.
"With the advent of pasteurization, bovine TB is not a threat to
human health via milk or milk products," said Ogden, "but the loss of
the status will cost beef producers in New Mexico millions of dollars
annually until the free status can be regained. At a minimum,
producers will be required to test for TB all breeding animals
leaving the state within 60 days prior to their movement."
Individual states have the option to require additional testing
including cattle of other types and ages, she explained. Several
states including California, Idaho, Illinois, Wisconsin, Nebraska,
and North Dakota have already imposed testing requirements, some of
them more stringent than what is expected from the USDA. Anyone
moving cattle or bison out of New Mexico is advised to contact the
state veterinarian in the destination state well prior to the planned
movement Ogden said. A contact list of those state vets is available
on the NMCGA website at <http://www.nmagriculture.org>. In addition
to testing, other states may require premise identification as well
as individual animal identification.
The reason for the heavy financial burden on cattle producers is the
way the testing must be done. Only a certified vet may perform the
test, which requires putting each animal through a chute twice, 3
days apart with the vet on sight, Ogden pointed out. Most beef cattle
producers do not have the holding facilities to keep the cattle in
for 3 days, and if they do, the animals must be fed. With the cost of
feed skyrocketing and the shortage of labor in agriculture, it could
easily cost a rancher USD 50-60 per animal for testing.
This is the 2nd time in 5 years that New Mexico will have its bovine
TB status downgraded, Ogden reported. Both times as a result of 2
dairy cows located on the east side of the state. Many question
whether or not the USDA has sufficient cause and documentation to
reduce the status at this point in time, Ogden noted, but the agency
has made it clear that it plans to proceed with the downgrade.
"The New Mexico Livestock Board, the State Veterinarian and Senators
Jeff Bingaman and Pete Domenici have worked long and hard with the
USDA to try to mitigate the situation for our state's livestock
producers, the vast majority of whom were hundreds of miles from the
diseased cows," Ogden said, "and we are extremely grateful for their
interest and support."
The Livestock Board is pursuing further regionalization to again
minimize the impact on the industry, but that could take months and
in the meantime, producers will have to abide by the USDA's rule, she said.
There is great frustration within the beef cattle industry with the
USDA's TB rule, which was put in place in 2000. The rule was based on
the assumption that bovine TB had been largely eradicated within the
United States. Enhanced surveillance has proven that not to be true.
Michigan and Minnesota have already lost their TB free status, while
California is in the process of a downgrade along with New Mexico.
Other states are only one diseased animal away from a status loss as well.
A primary fault with the USDA's TB rule is the fact that pasture
cattle and confined animals, such as dairies, are treated the same
while the risk of disease transmission is greatly different between
those kinds of operations, Ogden said. Another serious issue is how
states are able to regain their free status. Currently there are only
3 options.
One is to regionalize as New Mexico has done, but it is time
consuming. Another is to depopulate the herds where an infected
animal is found, which is costing tens of millions of dollars. The
depopulation of a single dairy herd in New Mexico this year [2008]
cost the federal government more than USD 30 million. Not only is the
process costly, but also thousands of healthy animals were put down.
Finally, the herd where a diseased animal is found can test annually
until it has no positive cases. This too is costly and can take years
to accomplish.
NMCGA is working with other states to see what can be done about
changing the USDA's TB rule so that it is risk based rather than
punitive, according to Ogden.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@...>
The state of New Mexico in the southwestern United States can be
located on the HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map at
<http://healthmap.org/promed?v=40,-97.6,4>. - CopyEd.MJ]
[see also:
Tuberculosis, bovine - USA (05): (CA) 20080710.2100
Tuberculosis, bovine - USA (04): (MN) status downgrade 20080408.1296
Tuberculosis, cervid - USA (MI) 20080304.0897
Tuberculosis, bovine - USA (03): (MN) 20080222.0718
Tuberculosis, bovine - USA (02): (MN) 20080205.0472
Tuberculosis, bovine - USA (CA) 20080202.0429
Tuberculosis, bovine - USA: (MN) 20080123.0285]
...................................tg/mj/mpp
*##########################################################*
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ProMED-mail makes every effort to verify the reports that
are posted, but the accuracy and completeness of the
information, and of any statements or opinions based
thereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks in
using information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISID
and its associated service providers shall not be held
responsible for errors or omissions or held liable for any
damages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon posted
or archived material.
************************************************************
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*************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
Date: Thu 7 Aug 2008
Source: Carlsbad Current Argus [edited]
<http://www.currentargus.com/ci_10133160>
New Mexico to lose bovine tuberculosis free status
--------------------------------------------------
New Mexico is within days of losing its bovine tuberculosis [TB] free
status, according to New Mexico Cattle Growers' Association (NMCGA)
President Alisa Ogden of Loving. The loss will be triggered by
publication of an emergency rule in the Federal Register by the US
Department of Agriculture [USDA], which is expected by mid August
[2008] at the latest and will become effective immediately, she reported.
"With the advent of pasteurization, bovine TB is not a threat to
human health via milk or milk products," said Ogden, "but the loss of
the status will cost beef producers in New Mexico millions of dollars
annually until the free status can be regained. At a minimum,
producers will be required to test for TB all breeding animals
leaving the state within 60 days prior to their movement."
Individual states have the option to require additional testing
including cattle of other types and ages, she explained. Several
states including California, Idaho, Illinois, Wisconsin, Nebraska,
and North Dakota have already imposed testing requirements, some of
them more stringent than what is expected from the USDA. Anyone
moving cattle or bison out of New Mexico is advised to contact the
state veterinarian in the destination state well prior to the planned
movement Ogden said. A contact list of those state vets is available
on the NMCGA website at <http://www.nmagriculture.org>. In addition
to testing, other states may require premise identification as well
as individual animal identification.
The reason for the heavy financial burden on cattle producers is the
way the testing must be done. Only a certified vet may perform the
test, which requires putting each animal through a chute twice, 3
days apart with the vet on sight, Ogden pointed out. Most beef cattle
producers do not have the holding facilities to keep the cattle in
for 3 days, and if they do, the animals must be fed. With the cost of
feed skyrocketing and the shortage of labor in agriculture, it could
easily cost a rancher USD 50-60 per animal for testing.
This is the 2nd time in 5 years that New Mexico will have its bovine
TB status downgraded, Ogden reported. Both times as a result of 2
dairy cows located on the east side of the state. Many question
whether or not the USDA has sufficient cause and documentation to
reduce the status at this point in time, Ogden noted, but the agency
has made it clear that it plans to proceed with the downgrade.
"The New Mexico Livestock Board, the State Veterinarian and Senators
Jeff Bingaman and Pete Domenici have worked long and hard with the
USDA to try to mitigate the situation for our state's livestock
producers, the vast majority of whom were hundreds of miles from the
diseased cows," Ogden said, "and we are extremely grateful for their
interest and support."
The Livestock Board is pursuing further regionalization to again
minimize the impact on the industry, but that could take months and
in the meantime, producers will have to abide by the USDA's rule, she said.
There is great frustration within the beef cattle industry with the
USDA's TB rule, which was put in place in 2000. The rule was based on
the assumption that bovine TB had been largely eradicated within the
United States. Enhanced surveillance has proven that not to be true.
Michigan and Minnesota have already lost their TB free status, while
California is in the process of a downgrade along with New Mexico.
Other states are only one diseased animal away from a status loss as well.
A primary fault with the USDA's TB rule is the fact that pasture
cattle and confined animals, such as dairies, are treated the same
while the risk of disease transmission is greatly different between
those kinds of operations, Ogden said. Another serious issue is how
states are able to regain their free status. Currently there are only
3 options.
One is to regionalize as New Mexico has done, but it is time
consuming. Another is to depopulate the herds where an infected
animal is found, which is costing tens of millions of dollars. The
depopulation of a single dairy herd in New Mexico this year [2008]
cost the federal government more than USD 30 million. Not only is the
process costly, but also thousands of healthy animals were put down.
Finally, the herd where a diseased animal is found can test annually
until it has no positive cases. This too is costly and can take years
to accomplish.
NMCGA is working with other states to see what can be done about
changing the USDA's TB rule so that it is risk based rather than
punitive, according to Ogden.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@...>
The state of New Mexico in the southwestern United States can be
located on the HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map at
<http://healthmap.org/promed?v=40,-97.6,4>. - CopyEd.MJ]
[see also:
Tuberculosis, bovine - USA (05): (CA) 20080710.2100
Tuberculosis, bovine - USA (04): (MN) status downgrade 20080408.1296
Tuberculosis, cervid - USA (MI) 20080304.0897
Tuberculosis, bovine - USA (03): (MN) 20080222.0718
Tuberculosis, bovine - USA (02): (MN) 20080205.0472
Tuberculosis, bovine - USA (CA) 20080202.0429
Tuberculosis, bovine - USA: (MN) 20080123.0285]
...................................tg/mj/mpp
*##########################################################*
************************************************************
ProMED-mail makes every effort to verify the reports that
are posted, but the accuracy and completeness of the
information, and of any statements or opinions based
thereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks in
using information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISID
and its associated service providers shall not be held
responsible for errors or omissions or held liable for any
damages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon posted
or archived material.
************************************************************
Become a ProMED-mail Premium Subscriber at
<http://www.isid.org/ProMEDMail_Premium.shtml>
************************************************************
Visit ProMED-mail's web site at <http://www.promedmail.org>.
Send all items for posting to: promed@...
(NOT to an individual moderator). If you do not give your
full name and affiliation, it may not be posted. Send
commands to subscribe/unsubscribe, get archives, help,
etc. to: majordomo@.... For assistance from a
human being send mail to: owner-promed@....