Q’s & A’s About the

Bovine Tuberculosis

Emergency

Declaration

Q. What is bovine tuberculosis (TB)? 

A. Bovine TB is a chronic debilitating disease

caused by Mycobacterium bovis. The disease 

primarily affects cattle bu1 t can be transmitted to

humans and other animals.

Q. What action is the U.S. Department of

Agriculture (USDA) taking regarding TB in cattle?

A. Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman declared

an emergency October 17, 2000, under which he

authorized the transfer of $44,196,876 from 

emergency contingency funds to USDA’s Animal and

Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to expand

the TB eradication program in the United States.

Q. Why did USDA declare an emergency?

A. Scientific analysis has recently identified 

significant TB threats that could lead to the spread of

the disease in the United States and compromise

international and domestic trade in U.S. animals and

animal products. These outcomes would threaten

producers with losses and consumers with price

increases. APHIS does not have the funds in its 

regular appropriations to deal quickly and effectively

with the emerging TB threat; therefore, an emergency

was declared to make the funding available.

Q. What are these threats?

A. APHIS has identified four main TB threats. They

are:

1. TB is being transmitted to livestock from

infected wildlife, especially free-ranging deer.

Scientific evidence suggests that infected freeranging deer are transmitting the disease to nearby

cattle. Such transmission was recently identified in

Michigan, with 11 cattle herds detected as being

affected with TB from infection in wildlife, primarily

from free-ranging deer. Livestock can become 

infected through sharing a common watering place

contaminated with saliva and other discharges from

infected deer. Despite efforts by the State of

Michigan to contain TB-infected wildlife to limited

areas, program officials in Michigan subsequently

discovered infected deer 75 miles outside the 

containment zone. This situation is threatening all

interstate movement of cattle from Michigan due to

concerns that cattle in that State might be exposed to

infected deer or other infected cattle.

2. Transmission of TB from infected captive

deer and elk threatens U.S. cattle and other 

livestock.

Infected captive deer and elk, in turn, pose a

threat to cattle and other livestock. It is not currently

known how prevalent TB is in captive cervids,

because APHIS does not have the resources to 

conduct adequate surveillance of captive cervids.

3. The U.S. cattle population is being threatened by recurring TB infection of dairy herds in

the El Paso, TX, area.

Recent studies have indicated that the greatest

risk of reinfection in the El Paso area comes from the

U.S. dairy herds’ proximity to TB-infected dairy herds

in Juarez, Mexico. Despite ongoing testing of large

dairy herds in the El Paso area and removal of TBinfected animals from those herds, reinfection of U.S.

dairy herds in that area continues to occur. Although

depopulation of dairy herds in the El Paso area along

the U.S./Mexican border is the most dependable

method of protecting U.S. livestock from recurring TB

infection in that area of Texas, depopulation of large

U.S. dairy herds has not been a viable option

because APHIS has lacked the resources to pay

indemnity for depopulated herds.

4. A decline in testing for TB in recent years

also threatens to allow the spread of the disease

in the United States.

As the number of TB-free States has increased,

limitations on Federal resources have in many cases

led USDA inspectors to take samples only from those

animals exhibiting obvious signs of TB. The number

of samples taken from cattle at slaughter for testing

for TB has decreased from approximately 4,000 in

1995 to 900 in 1999. However, APHIS estimates that

10,000 sample submissions are needed each year to

adequately survey the U.S. cattle population for TB.

APHIS needs additional funds both to provide 

assistance in taking the number of samples at

slaughter necessary for adequate surveillance and to

increase testing capacity at the APHIS’ National

Veterinary Services Laboratories.

Q. How will USDA address these threats? 

A. APHIS will deal with each of these threats in the

following fashion.

1. TB is being transmitted to livestock from

infected wildlife, especially free-ranging deer.

Factsheet

 

 
 

APHIS
This threat pertains to Michigan. TB was most

likely introduced to wild deer populations through contact with infected cattle. APHIS and the State of

Michigan will test every cow in Michigan for TB. Once

the disease is eradicated in domestic Michigan cattle,

the disease can be controlled in wildlife by many management practices such as banning supplemental

feeding and controlling deer population densities.

APHIS will aid Michigan with increased monitoring

and surveillance of the wildlife.

2. Transmission of TB from infected captive

deer and elk threatens U.S. cattle and other livestock.

APHIS will enhance monitoring and surveillance

practices nationally of captive cervids like deer and

elk. APHIS will work with States to find and remove

affected herds and establish a known level of risk of

this disease for our national and international trading

partners.

3. The U.S. cattle population is being threatened by recurring TB infection of dairy herds in

the El Paso, TX, area.

APHIS and the State of Texas will create a buffer

zone in the El Paso area to protect the U.S. cattle

population from the suspected source of infection

from Mexico. Existing dairy producers in that buffer

zone will be offered a voluntary buyout by USDA.

4. A decline in testing for TB in recent years

also threatens to allow the spread of the disease

in the United States.

APHIS will enhance surveillance of TB across the

country and review all State programs and regulations

for TB reporting. APHIS will enhance surveillance at

major slaughter plants including monitoring cervid

slaughter at specialty plants not inspected by Federal

and State meat inspectors. Wild deer and elk will be

tested through a hunter submission program. APHIS

will also increase the number of herds under disease–free certification in each State that must be tested for TB and enhance reporting procedures for TB

surveillance activities in all States.

Q. How will the money be used?

A. The money will be used to improve Federal 

diagnostic capabilities and national surveillance for

TB; for payment of indemnity for the depopulation of

herds affected with TB or at high risk for recurrence of

the disease; to establish identification requirements for

animals imported into the United States for feeding

and slaughter; to assist in eradicating TB from foreign

areas adjacent to the United States that are at high

risk for the disease; and to research, control, and 

survey for TB in wildlife, captive cervids, and zoos in

the United States.

Q. What is the breakdown of expenditures?

A. This is how the money will be spent: $29,582,000

will go for insurance claims and indemnities, of which

$25,718,000 will be for the buyout of ranches in the El

Paso area: $7,598,859 for surveillance; $5,236,230

on diagnostics; $729,952 for import requirements; and

$1,049,835 for wildlife management. This is the first

year of funding for what will be a 4-year process to

eliminate all TB from cattle, bison, and captive deer

and elk herds in the United States.

Q. Prior to this emergency, what was USDA

doing?

A. Through APHIS, USDA works cooperatively with

the national livestock industry and State animal health

agencies to eradicate TB from domestic livestock in

the United States and, through continued monitoring

and surveillance, to prevent its recurrence.

United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination

in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national

origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to

all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative

means for communication of program information (Braille, large

print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at

(202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of

Civil Rights, Room 326–W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence

Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250–9410 or call (202) 720–5964

(voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and

employer.