Sask. Cattlemen’s Association willing to help CFIA with Bovine TB investigation

The Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association is keeping a close eye and ear to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s investigation into a positive case of Bovine Tuberculosis found in a cow that originated from a herd in Saskatchewan.

The CFIA said the six-year-old cow was slaughtered at a federally-regulated abattoir in Alberta and the CFIA Ottawa Laboratory Fallowfield confirmed the positive case on November 29th. The probe is in its early stages, so next steps include isolating the herd in question, testing the cows, tracing the infected animal’s path before slaughter, and potentially eradicating the herd. The investigation could take up to 12 weeks to complete.

CEO of the Cattlemen’s Association Grant McLellan says they were notified one day after the producer was.

“Certainly this is of interest to all of our groups and all of our producers,” McLellan said.

While the CFIA notes all areas of Canada are considered free of Bovine TB, isolated cases can still pop up and McLellan echoed that.

“With the amount of interaction that we have in our rural landscape between wildlife and our livestock, these types of scenarios are something that can happen and certainly it really isn’t the fault of the producer in any way -it can happen to anyone and that’s why it’s so important to why we encourage so strongly that folks have strong records around traceability and strong protocols for bio-security around their operations.”

The Agency says producers are eligible for compensation for any animals destroyed as part of this investigation. However, McLellan says it can be a stressful process.

“It’s unfortunate, it’s stressful, it takes a real toll on those producers where it’s found on their operation but we are hopeful that we can move through this quickly and get to the other side of this investigation and get to a resolution.”

The CFIA is working with the producer on managing the operational impact of this investigation alongside other industry associations, including the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association, and provincial and federal agricultural and health authorities.