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The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said it is investigating a confirmed case of bovine tuberculosis in a dairy cow in southern Manitoba.
The seven-year-old animal came from a farm in the Pembina Valley region of the province and was slaughtered at a federally registered facility in Manitoba.
According to the CFIA, there have been five cases of bovine TB confirmed in beef cattle in Canada in the last 14 years, but this is Canada’s first case in a dairy herd going back to at least 2011.
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In a June 16 notice to industry, the CFIA said culture testing at the agency’s Ottawa Laboratory (Fallowfield) found Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in tissues from the animal on June 9, and on June 13, the presence of Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) was confirmed.
The agency utilized the DairyTrace system to identify the herd of origin in Manitoba, which has been placed under quarantine until testing and depopulation can be completed.
The affected producers and industry associations, as well as federal and provincial departments, are cooperating in the investigation, which is still in the early stages and will include further testing to determine the mycobacterium species, the CFIA said.
From a beef and dairy trade perspective, Canada is still considered to be officially free of bovine TB, as isolated cases can occur. All areas of Canada have been considered free of the disease in farmed bovine and cervid species since 2006.
CFIA notes bovine TB generally does not pose a threat to public health in Canada because of the extremely low prevalence of the disease, the abattoir surveillance and testing programs in place, and pasteurization of milk.
Since it’s a reportable disease, producers are eligible for compensation for any animals ordered destroyed by the CFIA as part of the investigation.
