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Cindy Ragin (301) 734-7280
USDA AMENDS REGULATIONS REGARDING THE BOVINE TUBERCULOSIS STATUS IN MINNESOTA
WASHINGTON, Oct. 17, 2008--The U. S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is amending the bovine tuberculosis (TB) regulations regarding state and zone designations to recognize Minnesota for split-state status.
Prior to this interim rule, APHIS designated Minnesota as modified accredited. However, all of its affected herds are located in portions of four counties in the northwest corner of the state. After a thorough review of the state’s application, including conducting a risk analysis, APHIS has found that Minnesota meets the agency’s requirements for zone classification.
Therefore, APHIS is removing Minnesota from the list of modified accredited states, adding an area in the northwest corner to the list of modified accredited zones and adding the remainder of the state to the list of modified accredited advanced zones. This action reduces restrictions on the interstate movement of cattle and bison from areas of Minnesota other than the modified accredited zone in the northwest corner.
APHIS classifies states or zones within states according to their prevalence levels of bovine tuberculosis. There are five classifications: accredited free, modified accredited advanced, modified accredited, accredited preparatory and nonaccredited. Restrictions on the interstate movement of cattle become less stringent as a state approaches or achieves accredited free status.
Bovine tuberculosis is a contagious and infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium bovis. It affects cattle, bison, deer, elk, goats and other warm-blooded species and can be fatal. The disease can be transmitted to humans through direct contact with infected animals or consumption of raw milk. It is not transmitted through consumption of pasteurized milk.
The interim rule was published in the Oct. 10 Federal Register and becomes effective upon publication.
Consideration will be given to comments received on or before Dec. 9. Send two copies of postal mail or commercial delivery comments to Docket No. APHIS-2008-0117, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Comments can be submitted on the Federal eRulemaking portal at
http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2008-0117.
Comments are posted on the Reglations.gov Web site and also can be reviewed at USDA, Room 1141, South Building, 14th St. and Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C., between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. To facilitate entry into the comment reading room, please call (202) 690-2817.
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