08/28/08 Testing for bovine tb

Because of an outbreak of bovine tuberculosis in California thousands of Idaho cattle are being tested to see if they carry the disease. Idaho State Veterinarian Dr Bill Barton says the testing started last month on dairy herds that had been exposed to any of the hundreds of bulls that were sent to Idaho from California. BARTON "We have identified approximately 30 to 35 thousand head of dairy cattle that need to be tested. At this point we have finished up approximately somewhere between twelve and 14 thousand of those." Dr Barton says all of the tests administered so far in the Magic and Treasure valleys have come back negative for bovine TB. The testing involves any animals exposed to bulls that came from the California facility after 2003, the last time that the herd was free of bovine tuberculosis. BARTON "So since 2003 we have imported a little over one thousand dairy bulls from that facility. The last imports occurred back in February of this year." Barton says most of the bulls imported into Idaho have completed their breeding life and previously gone to slaughter. So how do you test these dairy cattle for bovine TB? Through a caudal fold test. That part of the story tomorrow. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott