Bob Wegmeyer watches the last of his cattle being hauled off. He made it tough for the wranglers, turning the cattle loose in fields and woods. It has been a tough year for Bob Wegmeyer. Humans safe Michigan Department of Agriculture officials say modern health and farming practices make it extremely unlikely that a human being could contact tuberculosis from eating an infected deer or cow or dairy products. Veterinarians researching the problem said that they could not find a single case of a human being contracting bovine TB in this manner.
Milk is protected by pasteurization.
Carnivores such as coyotes, foxes, bears and raccoons have contracted TB after eating deer. But veterinarians say that is because the animals ate raw meat, including areas where the germs are concentrated, such as the lungs. For human consumption, TB germs are killed in cooking. Last fall he buried Jeannie, his wife of 47 years, after she lost a long battle with liver cancer. The cattle were the last 48 from his original herd of 88.