December 1, 2008

LANSING - The Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) announced today that cattle, bison, and cervid testing in three, 10-mile circle areas surrounding bovine Tuberculosis (TB) positive deer harvested in 2007 in Shiawassee and Iosco counties - on the border and outside of the TB zone - revealed no bovine TB in livestock. As a result of livestock testing, the potential high risk area designations are dropped, effective today.

More than 246 cattle and privately owned cervid herds in Shiawassee and Iosco counties were tested for bovine TB during the past eight months. The Shiawassee County potential high risk area was 100 miles south of the northern Lower Michigan bovine TB zone. The two Iosco County potential high risk areas were on the border and just below the TB zone.

Genetic testing to determine the origin of the Shiawassee deer was inconclusive. Officials were unable to determine if the deer had originated in the TB zone and moved, or if it was born in the Shiawassee County area. In 2008, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has tested 244 road killed and hunter harvested deer in Shiawassee County and expects to test at least 300 hunter harvested deer from the area by the end of the year. In 2007, 16 Shiawassee County and 412 Iosco County deer were tested for bovine TB during the hunting season.

“We are relieved that bovine TB was not found in livestock in these areas,” said MDA State Veterinarian Steven Halstead. “Much of the credit for achieving this testing in such a short time frame goes to cattle owners, and to state, federal, and private practice veterinarians in the three designated circles.”

For more information on Michigan’s bovine TB eradication project, visit: www.michigan.gov/emergingdiseases.