Tests have been conducted in the South West part of North Dakota for bovine tuberculosis which is a disease that is easily transmitted to wildlife. One state official call this, “very expensive, very complex and very ugly business.” The state Game & Fish Department is hoping that will never happen since there has never been a recorded wild TB instance. So the idea is to stop it in its tracks and hopefully save the problem. This way if TB gets out, it can be contained and hopefully eradicated before it hits wild animals and becomes a reservoir and infects other animals that the infected animal comes in contact with. Randal Kreil, a wildlife official, says, “this is a livestock issue, and we’re just preparing in case wildlife is affected.” The testing of cattle began after a cow was diagnosed positive for the TB disease because of lesions on the meat found at a processing plant in Long Prairie, MN. Since the testing has not been completed yet, the source of the herd has not been identified yet after going through 200 head of cattle. The State Veterinarian Susan Keller says that in the initial screening, which is done at the base of the tail turned up 28 animals that are in question. Those 28 head have been euthanized and thus far no more animals in question have popped up. In the last 30 years, North Dakota has been TB free and thus far looks to be ok, but only if there is not another case within the next two years. If a herd was tested positive for bovine TB, then it could be transmitted to all the large game in North Dakota and possible back to another herd of cattle. Kreil took what happened in North Western MN as an example of what might happen in North Dakota if a case of TB were to get out to wild populations. Kreil says that if there are any suspicions about a wild TB instance, the Game & Fish would euthanize any animal within a certain estimated contamination distance and would test every animal killed. This would take millions of dollars and huge amount of man power to control and conduct this type of containment. The last time a positive test was done in North Dakota was in 1999 in Morton County. The entire herd was destroyed to contain the disease. During this infected time and area, there were no signs of wild animals within 25 miles. Now with this new problem at the Game & Fish’s door step, the possibility of wild animals coming in contact is greater and most likely possible. With the help of hunters, the Game & Fish test for both TB and Chronic Wasting Disease. Kreil says, “at this point, it remains a livestock issue, but we’re working very closely with the state veterinarian’s office to not make it a wildlife issue.” Here are some web site links to look up for additional information:
http://gf.nd.gov/
http://www.agdepartment.com/Programs/Livestock/BOAH/BOAH.html
I personally believe that someday, we will have to face TB or even Chronic Wasting Disease within this state. All the other states around us and provinces have had a case very close to this state and that makes a lot of Game & Fish officials very uneasy since it’s a very contagious disease to wildlife and makes it a living hell for animals to live with. So the best thing us hunters and people who deal with cattle or wild animals can do is being able to identify a sick animal and properly understand the situation and contact your local Game & Fish authority!!!
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If a Bovine Tuberculosis or a Chronic Wasting Disease outbreak did occure. This state of ours would be in trouble in many different areas. Hunting, ranching, and I bet it probably will effect farming. Lets just say a Deer get in contact with one of these diseases. It would soon speard and devistate an entire area and with how popular hunting is, it could have a huge impact on the local economy.
ReplyDeleteIm being very optimistic when I say this, but I hope it does just stay a livestock issue. It is basically enevitable that this will get into wild populations of ungulant (hoofed animals)animals in ND. It is all around us. Basically it boils down to how prepared our Wildlife and Game officials will be when it does get here. They better have the choppers fueled up and the guns loaded because if they dont contain this outbreak it will devistate the state. This is a very nasty PR topic that I dont think will have a pleasant ending! GOOD POST!
ReplyDeleteJust for future blogs dont have the website as the title of wour hyperlink... It is kind of distracting! Later bro
My family raises and shows Registered Polled Hereford cattle on a hobby farm in Southeast Minnesota. Anytime that we are planning on attending a show, we have to have our animals TB tested. There are also several larger farms throughout the state that have had their herds completely tested, so that they are considered a TB free herd. All of these things are ways that Minnesota has dealt with the TB outbreak. It is good to see that North Dakota is realizing that a possibility of TB hitting their state is a given, so I'm glad to hear that North Dakota is being proactive with this matter.
ReplyDeleteI do think that North Dakota has been very lucky so far with TB and Chronic Wasting, but with it all around us it is only a matter of time. We are spending a lot of time and money to keep it out and i hope that it keeps working. I agree with Dan Ryba that it will depend on how prepared the Game and Fish are with these problems and dealing with the problems when they arrive.
ReplyDeleteI will also have to say it’s just a matter of time we will have TB and CWD in our state it’s an almost impossible thing to keep out. But on the same note look at are neighboring states they have TB and CWD and we still seem to be holding our own. I think there are some improvements needed on the cattle industry on the transportation of animals and testing. It seems to be the cattle transportation that is the major cause for the TB cases and the wildlife are affected directly by wiping out large majority of the population in the area where the effected livestock was. This to me does not make allot of sense I think cattle are getting off pretty good because you will be able to get more cattle in a year or so but it may take many years to get the deer population back to normal.
ReplyDeleteIt is a good thing that the threat was recognized and the appropriate steps are being taken to ensure that things do not get out of hand. It is very smart to take preventive measures before it hits rather than wait and have to contain it. If TP were to spread into the wildlife this would be very devastating to North Dakota and surrounding areas, not to mention very difficult to contain. One of the most important factors in an effort to prevent TP is education. Through education and awareness, it can be prevented.
ReplyDeleteChronic Wasting Disease (CWD) and Bovine Tuberculosis (TB) are two bad diseases. I agree with Matt and everyone that posted on his blog. If, or more than likely when, these diseases arrive in ND there will be major problems. CWD and TB will eventually show up, but hopefully by that time, we will be prepared to stop the disease from spreading any farther than it does. As long as we are prepared, we will be ready to combat these diseases. And one day we may even find a way to eliminate the disease.
ReplyDeleteHopefully all of the tests will be negative for bovine tuberculosis because it would spread very fast in North Dakota with all the contact that there is between livestock and wildlife. I think it is only a matter of time before diseases like this reach North Dakota as many of our neighboring states already have diseases like this. Hopefully by the time these diseases make it here there will be more information on them so that officials will have a better idea of how to deal with them.
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