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Bovine TB in Alberta

April 30, 2018

CFIA has reported that all outstanding TB tissue culture results have come back negative and the TB investigation is now closed. Surveillance on the premises that were depopulated is not yet complete. No source of infection was identified through the investigation but it is not uncommon for a source to not be found.

A total of approximately 11,500 animals have been destroyed with compensation of $39 million paid to producers. This includes animals that were ordered destroyed from the infected herd and co-mingled herds and animals that required post-mortem testing.

The producers whose herds were depopulated and have completed the cleaning and disinfection of their premises have restocked their herds. Those producers have completed the first of two rounds of testing to verify that the restocked animals are free from bovine TB. The second round of testing will take place in the fall of 2018. The risk of TB in these herds is the same, if not less than, the rest of the Canadian beef herd.

The scale of the investigation and the size of the herds affected was unprecedented for CFIA. This presented some challenges in logistics and CFIA protocol but this has led to some important learnings and subsequent changes to policy.

For the summary report on the investigation including lessons learned, click here:
Case Response Overview

To go to the CFIA TB investigation website, click on this link:
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/animals/terrestrial-animals/diseases/reportable/tuberculosis/investigation-western-canada/eng/1477438380160/1477438380659



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