Complete Texas TB regs still up in the air

By LYNN MONTGOMERY | East Texas Edition

Cattle in Texas are under a tuberculosis regulation because of some infected herds within the state. Now, Texas Animal Health Commission and a TB Working Group are developing some new guidelines. -- Staff photo by Carolyn Rost

November 21, 2002 -- As the end of 2002 gets closer, cattle producers are wondering what is in store for tuberculosis (TB) testing.

At the recent North Texas Cattleman's Conference in McKinney, Greg Hawkins, Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) Area IV director, explained the situation.

"We are still waiting for a final decision from USDA what interstate movement will be for our feeder cattle," Hawkins said. "We should know by the first of December."

Texas' TB free status was downgraded in June 2002 after a second herd tested TB positive.

Currently, cattle producers know breeding cattle have to be tested and tagged before leaving the state. The only exceptions are cattle going directly to slaughter and nursing young.

The TAHC, along with the TB Working Group (consists of cattle industry leaders), concluded after several studies that Texas problems with TB are a direct result to Mexican cattle, according to Hawkins.

TAHC and the TB Working Group have sent a proposal to the USDA on how to deal with the situation in Texas, and identifies six areas of concern:

1) ID and identify the cattle

2) Improve slaughter surveillance in cows and bulls. (Inspectors at slaughter plants are awarded $3,750 per case that leads to an infected herd.)

3) Increase surveillance in dairies and purebred beef herds. (From 1993 to 2000, TB was found in five dairies, three purebred herds, no commercial herds.)

4) Control TB in Mexican origin feeder cattle.

5) Control TB in Mexican rodeo and roping cattle. (Eleven percent of TB cases in 2001-2002 came from this class. Dr. Ron Gill, another speaker at the conference later stated there were enough Longhorn cattle in Texas, "Why not rope them instead of importing Mexican cattle?")

6) Requested APHIS to base status changes on prevalence and risk.

"It's going to cost ya'll money," Hawkins said; "somewhere along the lines of $260 to $270 million over a five-year period."

The only thing the cattle producer can do now is to continue to wait for the final outcome, Hawkins added.

"Do not wait until the last minute before a big sale before testing," Hawkins offered as parting advice.