The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has released another
five premises from quarantines that were established to prevent the spread of tuberculosis among
cattle herds in Alberta and Southwestern Saskatchewan.
That brings the total released to 69 and lowers the number
remaining under quarantine to 35 with about 5,700 cattle.
The quarantines began last fall when one cow shipped for
slaughter in the United States was detected as infected with a strain of
tuberculosis never before seen in Canada.
Six more Canadian cattle, all from the same operation in
Alberta, were subsequently identified as infected. That entire herd of about
10,500 cattle on 18 premises has been slaughtered.
The quarantines were applied to any premise that has cattle
that were at any time in contact with the herd where the disease was confirmed.
The quarantines have been a major disruption for the farm
operations because they have not been able to move any animals off their
premises and travel to and from their farms and ranches is tightly controlled.
