Bovine TB Identified In Small Michigan Beef Cattle Herd

HUBBARD LAKE, Mich. (WWJ/AP) - Bovine tuberculosis has been found in a small herd of beef cattle in Michigan's northeastern Lower Peninsula.

The state Department of Agriculture and Rural Development says Tuesday that the Alcona County herd was identified through routine surveillance testing.

An informational meeting with cattle producers in Alpena and Alcona counties will be held at Tuesday, April 25, at 7 p.m. at the Hubbard Lake Community Center in Hubbard Lake.

State officials say the bacterial disease primarily affects cattle, but it can be spread between wildlife populations and other mammals, including humans.

According to the state, the threat of humans contracting bovine TB from animals is extremely remote in the U.S. Health officials have confidence in the state's meat and milk supply, but Michigan's deer herd and other wildlife species are at risk.

The Alcona County herd is in an area where bovine tuberculosis is pervasive in the free-ranging white-tail deer population.

Earlier this month, parts of five Michigan counties were designated as potential high risk areas after several deer tested positive for the disease.

For more information on Bovine TB, visit this link.

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