Texas' new TB status affects all cattle going out of state

From Staff Reports

June 13, 2002 -- It is done. As of June 3, Texas is no longer accredited free for cattle tuberculosis (TB).

Because of this downgrade, it has become a hot topic affecting the Texas cattle market.

This downgrade does affect any one shipping cattle out of Texas.

The new status, "modified accredited advanced status," will not only affect cattle shipped to other states but cattle coming into the state. Cattle can still move freely within the state.

Breeding cattle moving interstate must be identified and tested negative within 60 days prior to moving out of state. Breeding animals are bred heifers, bulls, and cows.

All cattle will have to be tested by an accredited veterinarian. The TB skin test is performed by injecting tuberculin into the skin or "caudal fold" under the animal's tail. The site is examined 72 hours later for redness, swelling or other reaction, which indicates the animal may have been exposed to or infected with TB.

If swelling, thickening or a lump is detected on the "caudal fold" test, a second skin test will be administered on the animal's neck within 10 days. If the second test, called a "comparative cervical," is negative, the animal is free to move.

A positive is a strong indication the animal may have cattle TB. The animal must be slaughtered and its carcass carefully examined for internal TB lesions. Tissue samples are collected and forwarded to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa, for laboratory confirmation.

If testing is not done, animals being sold at market will have to be held (at the owner's expense) or at another premises within Texas for a minimum of three days in order to complete TB testing, according to USDA regulations.

The TB status downgrade will mean that the 150,000+ cattle hauled out of Texas must have a negative TB skin test prior to being moved.

"The loss of status will immediately impact producers who move or sell breeding cattle out of state," explained Dr. Linda Logan, Texas' state veterinarian and executive director of the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC).

Logan said breeding cattle are exempted from the interstate testing requirement only if they are from a TB accredited-free herd (a herd that is tested for TB yearly and is enrolled in the TAHC's accreditation program), and are moving to an approved feedyard, or slaughter.

For more information about the accreditation program, contact the TAHC at 800-550-8242.

There are two other exceptions to moving across state line. They are nursing calves can move without a test, if they accompany their TB-tested dam and cattle going directly to a slaughter plant from a farm or livestock market do not need a test, according to Dr. Max Coats, assistant executive director for the TAHC said.

"The USDA has delayed until Jan. 1, 2003, additional restrictions on moving feeder cattle out of the state. Feeder animals include steers, bull calves and heifers destined for grazing and feeding for slaughter," Coats said.

The new status will also affect cattle coming into Texas, primarily cattle from Mexico.

"On April 1, entry regulations for Mexico animals will be tied directly to the prevalence of TB in their Mexican state of origin, or their region within a Mexican state," Logan stated. "Mexican feeder animals have offered excellent opportunities for cattle producers. Cattle TB, however, continues to be a problem in many Mexico states, and we must continue to assure that imported animals are properly tested for TB before they enter Texas."

Mexican cattle must be officially identified with a blue ear tag imprinted with the name of its Mexican state. The animals must also be accompanied by a certificate of origin, which documents where the animals came from. Mexican cattle must also carry an "M" brand on the hip.

Logan said the TAHC will be closely watching Mexican roping and rodeo cattle already in Texas.

"We will be checking these animals at events and practice pens to ensure that these animals have had their required post-entry TB tests," she said. "The TAHC requires that these animals be tested every 12 months for TB. We urge Texas producers to do their part by making sure these roping steers are tested on an annual basis."

The downgrade is due to the result of finding one TB-infected cattle herd in South Central Texas and another in Southwest Texas during 2001. When a two TB infected herds are identified in a state in less than a 48-month period, the state will loose their status in accordance with the USDA TB regulations. The two infected herds have been depopulated. Texas, who joins Michigan as the only two states not "free," could apply to regain accredited free status two years after the date of the depopulation of the last infected herd.