The Canadian Record (Canadian, Tex.), Vol. 112, No. 20, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 16, 2002 Page: 27 of 32
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?6e @a*taduM RJECORD
THURSDAY 16 MAY 2002
27
exas' downgrade or cattle
B status due une 1st
areer Briefs
Texas livestock health officials
are alerting cattle producers, vet-
erinarians and livestock markets
that the US Department of Agri-
culture (USDA) will strip Texas of
its "Free" status for cattle tuber-
culosis (TB) eradication on or
around June 1.
The TB status downgrade will
mean that the 150,000 or more
breeding cattle hauled out of
Texas each year must have a nega-
tive tuberculosis skin test prior to
being moved. The USDA has
placed a moratorium on additional
restrictions until at least January
2003, when the state's feeder cat-
tle must be identified with official
ear tags before being transported
out of state.
"Since late February, we have
worked with the USDA and cattle
industry groups to prepare for the
loss of Texas' TB-free status,,
which we initially thought would
occur as early as April," explained
Dr. Linda Logan, Texas' state vet-
erinarian and executive director of
the Texas Animal Health Commis-
sion (TAHG), the state's livestock
health regulatory agency. "This
loss of status will have a great im-
pact on the Texas livestock indus-
try and, until producers are
familiar with the process, it could
slow the movement of breeding
cattle out of the state."
"The downgrade in TB status
comes as a result of the diagnosis
and subsequent depopulation of
two TB-infected cattle herds dur-
ing 2001," she said. "Both infected
herds were detected by slaughter
plant inspectors, who found car-
casses with internal lesions indica-
tive of TB. Lesion samples were
submitted to the National Veteri-
nary Services Laboratory (NVSL)
for examination, and we began
skin-testing the herds where the
animals originated. We closely ex-
amined the carcasses of test- posi-
tive animals from the herds and
submitted lesions to the NVSL for
examination and confirmation of
TB."
Dr. Logan said the two infected
herds, found in South Central
Texas in summer 2001, and in
Southwest Texas in fall 2001, have
been depopulated. More than 130
other herds have been tested, as
TAHC and USDA officials search
for the origin of the disease out-
break, and where it may have
spread. No other infected herds
have been detected, and veteri-
nary epidemiologists have been
unable to pinpoint the source of
infection.
"Federal regulations mandate
a loss of TB-free status when a
state has two or more infected
herds disclosed within a 48-month
period. Texas will move from the
TB-free status it has held since
November 2000, to modified ac-
credited advanced status, the sec-
ond highest rung in an
international five-tier ranking sys-
tem for cattle TB eradication,"
said Dr. Logan. She said it will
take at least two years without an
infected herd for Texas to regain
its coveted TB-free status enjoyed
by all other states except
Michigan.
The loss of status will immedi-
ately impact producers who move
or sell breeding cattle out of state,
explained Dr. Logan. Breeding
animals are bred heifers, bulls and
cows. Since many cattle sold at
livestock markets are hauled out
of state, producer groups have
struggled with logistical problems
sure to be encountered when un-
tested animals are presented at
livestock markets. She said
breeding cattle are exempted
from the interstate testing re-
quirement 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 accredita-
tion program), are moving to an
approved feedyard, or are con-
signed directly to slaughter.
"If sellers arrive at the live-
stock market with untested breed-
ing cattle, the market manage-
ment will need to designate the
untested animals as 'Texas-only'
cattle, restrict the cattle to slaugh-
ter only, or they will have to make
arrangements for having the ani-
mals tested so they can move in-
terstate," explained Dr. Logan.
"Producers can avoid delays in
moving their cattle, if they'll have
their accredited veterinarian test
animals prior to sale."
A TB skin test takes 72 hours
to complete and must be con-
ducted by an accredited veterinar-
ian, who injects tuberculin into the
skin near the animal's tail, in a site
called the 'caudal fold,' After a
72-hour waiting period, the veteri-
narian examines the injection site
for a response, such as redness or
swelling. Animals without a re-
sponse can move. If a response is
detected, Dr. Logan said a second
test must be applied on the ani-
mal's neck by a state or federal
regulatory veterinarian. This
comparative cervical test also re-
quires a waiting period of 72 hours
after injection before it can be
read, she said. Animals with nega-
tive results on the comparative
cervical test also are free to move.
"One or two percent of animals
will test positive on the caudal fold
test but then are cleared for move-
ment with a negative comparative
cervical test," said Dr. Logan. "If
the animals have skin reactions on
both tests, however, they need to
be slaughtered and closely exam-
ined, as there is strong evidence
that the animal has been infected
with TB."
'Veterinarians from the TAHC
and the USDA in Texas will work
with private veterinary practitio-
ners and producers to conduct all
needed comparative cervical tests
as quickly as possible," said Dr.
Logan. "Preventing bottlenecks
and keeping Texas livestock mov-
ingwill be a key goal for our staff."
Dr. Logan said that cattle in-
dustry groups continue to develop
plans to address federal TB re-
quirements that will apply to
Texas feeder cattle as of January
2003. "More than 1.5 million
feeder cattle leave Texas each
year, and each of these animals
will have to wear an official identi-
fication ear tag," said Dr. Logan.
"Currently, official tags are used
to identify animals tested for
brucellosis, and these must be ap-
plied by private veterinary practi-
tioners, or state or federal staff.
We are working with industry and
the USDA to develop an accept-
able ear tag that can be provided
and applied by the cattle owner.
The identification tags improve
the ability to trace animals back to
their herd of origin."
"Additionally, it is anticipated
that feeder heifers and most bull
calves in interstate movement will
also have to be TB tested, unless
they go to an approved feedlot or
directly to slaughter. This is to
prevent untested heifers or bulls
from being moved from the
feedyard back to the ranch. In or-
der to regain our state's TB-free
status, we must conduct stepped-
up surveillance to ensure that we
do not have additional undetected
TB infection," declared Dr. Logan.
"We are trying to find an ac-
ceptable alternative to testing the
750,000 feeder heifers that move,
as this would require a greater
number of veterinarians than are
currently available to conduct the
testing," said Dr. Logan. "We
hope to strike an agreement with
the USDA to allow approved pas-
tures or feedlots in other states
that would accept untested heif-
ers. Heifers selected for breeding
could be moved from these sites to
a ranch after they've had a nega-
tive TB test."
"We will continue to work with
the USDA and the cattle industry
associations to find a workable so-
lution to our changing TB status,"
said Dr. Logan. "It is of upmost
importance that we maintain the
ability of Texas cattle to move
across state lines without undue
hardship while we work to regain
our TB-free status."
Lindsey Fillingim-Criswell AC
graduate
Lindsey Renee' Fillingim-
Criswell graduated May 10 from
the Amarillo College School of
Mortuary Science at the Amarillo
Civic Center along with more
than 930 graduates. She also
holds a Bachelor of Science De-
gree in Biology from West Texas
A&M University.
She has been hired to work at
Brooks Funeral Directors of Can-
yon and Happy under the direc-
tion of Roland and Caroline
Brooks. Fillingim-Criswell is the
daughter of David and Rita
Pearson of Briscoe and Dan and
Chris Fillingim of Elk City,
Oklahoma. She is the granddaughter of Nellie Mae Lackey and the late
Jessie Lee Lackey, and Willis and LaVerna Fillingim of Wheeler, and
Albert and Mary Pearson of Stamford. Residing in Canyon in their
"first" home, she and her husband, Ken, are expecting their first child.
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Ezzell, Nancy & Brown, Laurie Ezzell. The Canadian Record (Canadian, Tex.), Vol. 112, No. 20, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 16, 2002, newspaper, May 16, 2002; Canadian, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth220529/m1/27/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Hemphill County Library.