Diseased cattle came from Texas
Heifers held in Arizona test positive for Bovine Papular Stomatitis

By LORI COPE | East Texas Edition

October 16, 2003 -- U.S. cattle producers breathed a sign of relief when cattle in Arizona tested negative for foot-and-mouth disease, but rather for a disease likened to fever blisters.

Ed Loyd, deputy press secretary with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, on Oct. 10 said, "The tests were negative for foot-and-mouth disease, and they were negative for any antibodies of foot-and-mouth disease," Loyd stressed. "They are positive for Bovine Papular Stomatitis, a disease that primary affects young cattle."

The Texas Animal Health Commission alerted the state's media on the afternoon of Friday, Oct. 10, about the cattle with "vesicular lesions on the mouth and some older, drier lesions on their teats" were being held for testing.

The cattle, about 40 head, were isolated on Thursday, Oct. 9, and held in export pens at the port of Nogales, Ariz. The cattle were scheduled to be shipped to Esperanza, Sonora, Mexico.

After learning of the potential of disease, Mexico closed its borders to livestock trade with the United States on Friday (Oct. 10) morning. But with the preliminary testing results, Mexico reopened the borders for livestock trade.

Rae Chornenky, legislative liaison with Arizona Department of Agriculture, said the cattle came from Texas and, as customary, were held on the U.S. side of the border before being transported into Mexico. "These are beef cattle. I'm told one is a cow, and the rest are heifers, about 10-months-old."

Chornenky also noted Bovine Papular Stomatitis "is occasionally found in young cattle, and it is not endemic to the U.S., and it does not jeopardize U.S. livestock exports."

Loyd added that the cattle are still in holding until further testing for other diseases can be finalized. Some speculations are the blisters in the mouth area are from roughage feedstuffs.

The Associated Press reported on Oct. 10 that cattle and beef trade between the United States and Mexico has been strained.

The Mexican government earlier this year imposed tariffs on U.S. beef after Mexican farmers complained that there was a surge in American beef imports. U.S. cattlemen object to the claims.

The United States shipped 106,000 head of cattle to Mexico last year. Mexico was the No. 1 buyer of U.S. beef last year, importing 349,900 metric tons.