The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) says three more cases of Bovine Tuberculosis have been confirmed in animals from the same Saskatchewan herd as the first case that was detected on November 29th.
However, the three infected animals were not born in the herd currently being tested.
The CFIA adds, in an industry notice on its website, further testing will be done to determine the prevalence of the disease – on all animals in the herd over 12 months of age, as well as other herds in contact with the infected herd. It’s ongoing investigation will also involve the tracing of animals that left the infected herd in the last 5 years and the tracing of animals that provided animals to the infected herd in the last 5 years. They will also test implicated herds as required.
The Agency noted lab results from the November 29th case found ” a strain that has never been identified in animals or humans in Canada, and the origin of the strain is unknown. It is not closely related to any of the recent strains in Western Canada.”
Federal & provincial departments as well as affected producers and industry associations are cooperating with the investigation.
Compensation will be given to the affected producer once the herd is destroyed.
SaskAgToday has reached out to the CFIA and the Provincial Chief Veterinary Officer for comment.