Canada confirms tuberculosis in Manitoba cow
For the first time since 2004, a Canadian cow is diagnosed with TB; Canadian health authorities says no part of the infected cow entered the human or animal food chain
A five-year-old beef cow from a herd in Canada’s western Manitoba province has been diagnosed with bovine tuberculosis (TB), the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said yesterday. The animal was ordered destroyed and no part of the infected cow entered the human or animal food chain, the CFIA said in a statement. There were also no public health risk associated with this case and Canada’s status in the international trade of animals and animal products was not affected by this finding, it said. “While Canada’s livestock herds are considered to be free from bovine TB, cases such as this one occur from time-to-time,” the government agency said.
The last finding of bovine TB in Manitoba occurred in March 2004. The infected cow was part of a herd of 240 cattle, which was among some 200 herds scheduled for testing from September 2007 to June 2008.
