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Texas Agriculture Archive

August 2, 2002

TAHC unveils action
plan regarding TB status

By Lana Robinson
Field Editor

Texas Animal Health Commission officials meeting with Texas Farm Bureau dairy producers and others from the beef industry in Waco July 24 unveiled the agency's action plan to address the recent downgrade in the state's tuberculosis status.

Of utmost concern to the TAHC is the fear that USDA's current approach will have a substantial, negative impact on the Texas livestock economy. According to USDA projections, producer losses could range between $260 and $788 million for the five and 10-year time horizons, respectively. The total output loss is between $890 million and $2.8 billion for the same time periods, USDA figures suggest.

In offering written recommendations to USDA, the state animal health agency wrote, "We are further concerned that our previous and current problems with TB in Texas herds is a direct result of spread of infection from cattle imported from Mexico. The Texas livestock industries feel very strongly that the USDA and federal government should not continue to sacrifice Texas' TB status and the biosecurty of our producers' herds because of national trade policy. Moreover, the current loss of status based on an absolute number of two affected herds, rather than prevalence and risk, demonstrates a serious oversight by USDA during the promulgation of the domestic rule published in October 2000."

Commissioners went on to outline some problems and request consideration of a plan better suited to Texas and the eradication of TB.

From the TAHC perspective, the new domestic tuberculosis rule on interstate movements of Texas origin feeder cattle, which are believed to be of negligible risk, "appears to be more punitive than preventative."

"In addition, the cost for implementation of an identification system that provides traceability to a herd of origin together with expenses related to tuberculin testing is not justifiable when based on disease risk," said Dr. Dan Baca, TAHC TB epidemiologist.

The TAHC suggests that a more responsible and effective course of action would be to apply available resources to the following areas of surveillance and risk:

1. Identify and TB test breeding cattle leaving the state of Texas.

Based on the change of status, all Texas breeding cattle will be required to have a negative TB test within 60 days of interstate movement, or originate from a TB accredited free herd, or move directly to slaughter. These animals will be officially identified by an accredited veterinarian at the time of testing by means of a USDA eartag, tattoo, or registration brand.

Baca said the recommendation had a two-fold purpose: 1) to provide the states of delivery assurance that they are purchasing a TB-free animal(s); and 2) to give some surveillance on that segment, which in turn, provides assurance to the animals' Texas seller.

2. Improve surveillance at plants that slaughter cows and bulls.

The most cost-effective method of locating TB infected herds is to conduct high-quality surveillance on adult animals at federally inspected plants. TAHC is recommending that APHIS extend this initiative to all major U.S. plants that slaughter cows and bulls.

3. Implement enhanced surveillance on segments of the Texas cattle industry which have historically had a disproportionate amount of tuberculosis.

The TAHC recommended targeted surveillance by testing herds at a level to detect infection at a prevalence of 0.1 percent on a herd basis. This means that if one of 1,000 herds in each industry segment has the disease, a statistical sample of the population would allow detection of as least one of the infected herds.

"Since there are currently 880 producing dairies in the state, this level of surveillance would require that all 880 dairies be tested," he said. "That would include all cows and bulls in every dairy, and 10 percent of purebred operations."

The TAHC epidemiologist explained that the two Texas herds that were diagnosed with TB in 2001 included one purebred beef herd and one dairy herd.

During the past 10-year period, the disease was diagnosed in five dairies and three purebred beef herds. Two of the dairies were located in the El Paso milk-shed area. The remaining three dairies were located in Karnes, Comanche, and Pecos counties. Over the past 20 year period, a total of 14 dairies and five purebred beef herds were quarantined because of infection with TB. Eleven dairies were located in the El Paso milk-shed. The affected beef herds were located in El Paso, Culberson, Uvalde, Fayette, and Grayson counties.

4. Control risks associated with TB in feeder cattle imported from Mexico.

Because Mexican feeder cattle seem to be the primary source of infection, the agency is proposing that TAHC adopt additional requirements for entry of feeder cattle from Mexico. These regulations would limit the entry of such cattle to an approved feedyard or an approved pasture, which would require a permit prior to entry and a permit in order to move cattle. Approved facilities would be prohibited from feeding or growing replacement beef or dairy cattle. To obtain a permit, the owner or operator of the premises would be required to meet specifications for fencing and other barriers (roads, rivers, etc.) that effectively prevent contact with all breeding cattle and any other cattle that are not on the premises defined in the approved pasture agreement. The provisions would also include identification requirements for U.S. feeder cattle that are exposed to, or grazed with these animals.

5. Control risks associated with TB in roping/rodeo cattle imported from Mexico.

TAHC is also proposing a crackdown on rodeo and roping cattle imported from Mexico.

"We believe the prevalence of TB in this class of cattle is at least comparable to, if not greater than, feeder cattle. Since this class of cattle live much longer and are subject to more extensive movements and potential contacts with U.S. cattle compared to feeder cattle, we propose that more stringent safeguards be developed to control the risks," said Reta K. Dyess, a TAHC commissioner also present.

6. APHIS/VS consider amending the current rule to base downgrades of status on prevalence and risk.

The TAHC is also recommending that APHIS/VS consider amending the current domestic TB rule to base downgrades of TB status of a state on prevalence and risk; that the APHIS/VS Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health work with recognized experts in the epidemiology of tuberculosis to arrive at an equitable and risk-based threshold for such downgrades; and that movement restrictions imposed as a result of such downgrades be focused on risk reduction.