Q's & A's About the Bovine Tuberculosis
Emergency Declaration
Q. What is bovine tuberculosis (TB)?
A. Bovine TB is a chronic debilitating disease caused by Mycobacterium
bovis. The disease primarily affects cattle bu1 t can be transmitted
to humans and other animals.
Q. What action is the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
taking regarding TB in cattle?
A. Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman declared an emergency
October 17, 2000, under which he authorized the transfer of $44,196,876
from emergency contingency funds to USDA’s Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS) to expand the TB eradication program in the
United States.
Q. Why did USDA declare an emergency?
A. Scientific analysis has recently identified significant
TB threats that could lead to the spread of the disease in the United
States and compromise international and domestic trade in U.S. animals
and animal products. These outcomes would threaten producers with losses
and consumers with price increases. APHIS does not have the funds in
its regular appropriations to deal quickly and effectively with the
emerging TB threat; therefore, an emergency was declared to make the
funding available.
Q. What are these threats?
A. APHIS has identified four main TB threats. They are:
1. TB is being transmitted to livestock from infected wildlife, especially
free-ranging deer. Scientific evidence suggests that infected free-ranging
deer are transmitting the disease to nearby cattle. Such transmission
was recently identified in Michigan, with 11 cattle herds detected as
being affected with TB from infection in wildlife, primarily from free-ranging
deer. Livestock can become infected through sharing a common watering
place contaminated with saliva and other discharges from infected deer.
Despite efforts by the State of Michigan to contain TB-infected wildlife
to limited areas, program officials in Michigan subsequently discovered
infected deer 75 miles outside the containment zone. This situation
is threatening all interstate movement of cattle from Michigan due to
concerns that cattle in that State might be exposed to infected deer
or other infected cattle.
2. Transmission of TB from infected captive deer and elk threatens
U.S. cattle and other livestock. Infected captive deer and elk, in turn,
pose a threat to cattle and other livestock. It is not currently known
how prevalent TB is in captive cervids, because APHIS does not have
the resources to conduct adequate surveillance of captive cervids.
3. The U.S. cattle population is being threatened by recurring TB infection
of dairy herds in the El Paso, TX, area. Recent studies have indicated
that the greatest risk of reinfection in the El Paso area comes from
the U.S. dairy herds’ proximity to TB-infected dairy herds in
Juarez, Mexico. Despite ongoing testing of large dairy herds in the
El Paso area and removal of TB-infected animals from those herds, reinfection
of U.S. dairy herds in that area continues to occur. Although depopulation
of dairy herds in the El Paso area along the U.S./Mexican border is
the most dependable method of protecting U.S. livestock from recurring
TB infection in that area of Texas, depopulation of large U.S. dairy
herds has not been a viable option because APHIS has lacked the resources
to pay indemnity for depopulated herds.
4. A decline in testing for TB in recent years also threatens to allow
the spread of the disease in the United States. As the number of TB-free
States has increased, limitations on Federal resources have in many
cases led USDA inspectors to take samples only from those animals exhibiting
obvious signs of TB. The number of samples taken from cattle at slaughter
for testing for TB has decreased from approximately 4,000 in 1995 to
900 in 1999. However, APHIS estimates that 10,000 sample submissions
are needed each year to adequately survey the U.S. cattle population
for TB. APHIS needs additional funds both to provide assistance in taking
the number of samples at slaughter necessary for adequate surveillance
and to increase testing capacity at the APHIS’ National Veterinary
Services Laboratories.
Q. How will USDA address these threats?
A. APHIS will deal with each of these threats in the following
fashion.
1. TB is being transmitted to livestock from infected wildlife, especially
free-ranging deer. This threat pertains to Michigan. TB was most likely
introduced to wild deer populations through contact with infected cattle.
APHIS and the State of Michigan will test every cow in Michigan for
TB. Once the disease is eradicated in domestic Michigan cattle, the
disease can be controlled in wildlife by many management practices such
as banning supplemental feeding and controlling deer population densities.
APHIS will aid Michigan with increased monitoring and surveillance of
the wildlife.
2. Transmission of TB from infected captive deer and elk threatens
U.S. cattle and other livestock. APHIS will enhance monitoring and surveillance
practices nationally of captive cervids like deer and elk. APHIS will
work with States to find and remove affected herds and establish a known
level of risk of this disease for our national and international trading
partners.
3. The U.S. cattle population is being threatened by recurring TB infection
of dairy herds in the El Paso, TX, area. APHIS and the State of Texas
will create a buffer zone in the El Paso area to protect the U.S. cattle
population from the suspected source of infection from Mexico. Existing
dairy producers in that buffer zone will be offered a voluntary buyout
by USDA.
4. A decline in testing for TB in recent years also threatens to allow
the spread of the disease in the United States. APHIS will enhance surveillance
of TB across the country and review all State programs and regulations
for TB reporting. APHIS will enhance surveillance at major slaughter
plants including monitoring cervid slaughter at specialty plants not
inspected by Federal and State meat inspectors. Wild deer and elk will
be tested through a hunter submission program. APHIS will also increase
the number of herds under disease–free certification in each State
that must be tested for TB and enhance reporting procedures for TB surveillance
activities in all States.
Q. How will the money be used?
A. The money will be used to improve Federal
diagnostic capabilities and national surveillance for TB; for payment
of indemnity for the depopulation of herds affected with TB or at high
risk for recurrence of the disease; to establish identification requirements
for animals imported into the United States for feeding and slaughter;
to assist in eradicating TB from foreign areas adjacent to the United
States that are at high risk for the disease; and to research, control,
and survey for TB in wildlife, captive cervids, and zoos in the United
States.
Q. What is the breakdown of expenditures?
A. This is how the money will be spent: $29,582,000 will go
for insurance claims and indemnities, of which $25,718,000 will be for
the buyout of ranches in the El Paso area: $7,598,859 for surveillance;
$5,236,230 on diagnostics; $729,952 for import requirements; and $1,049,835
for wildlife management. This is the first year of funding for what
will be a 4-year process to eliminate all TB from cattle, bison, and
captive deer and elk herds in the United States.
Q. Prior to this emergency, what was USDA doing?
A. Through APHIS, USDA works cooperatively with the national
livestock industry and State animal health agencies to eradicate TB
from domestic livestock in the United States and, through continued
monitoring and surveillance, to prevent its recurrence.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination
in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national
origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation,
or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to
all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative
means for communication of program information (Braille, large print,
audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600
(voice and TDD).
To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office
of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue,
SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD).
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
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