USDA grants Minnesota TB-Free status
The Minnesota Board of Animal Health announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved Minnesota’s application for statewide bovine Tuberculosis (TB) Free status, effective October 4, 2011. Read the press release
Facts on Minnesota's TB Respsonse
Many people, groups, and agencies have been involved in Minnesota's TB response. Here are some numbers that show the level of dedication to rid the state of bovine TB.
From July 2005 to October 2011:
- 758,929 TB tests were performed on cattle and bison statewide to confirm the disease was contained in a small area of the state and then eliminated
- 107,573 of these tests were on animals in the former MAA Zone
- 478 private practitioners administered at least one TB test
- State troopers and the Roseau County Sheriff stopped 115 vehicles in the former MAA Zone to ensure movement requirements were met
- 73,885 linear feet of deer exclusion fencing was constructed in the Management Zone
- 408 risk assessments were conducted on farms to determine what steps could be taken to reduce risk of potentially spreading TB
- 115 of these risk assessments were onfarms in the Management Zone
- 293 were on farms in the former MAA Zone
- 3,676 animal movement permits were issued so the Board could easily trace animals during disease investigations
- 55,060 animals moved on these permits
- Over $936,000 was collected as part of the $1 assessment - funds were used for tagging animals, testing, fencing, buyout payments and other eradication activities
- 13,841 wild deer were tested for TB
- 9,783 of those deer were tested in northwest Minnesota
- 4,058 were tested outside of the northwest as part of the statewide surveillance in 2006