Tuberculosis confirmed in northern Michigan cattle herd is state’s first since 2022

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    Bovine TB continues to pop up in Michigan, this time in a cattle herd in Alcona County
    
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    It’s the first case since 2022 and the 83rd since 1998 in Michigan, officials at the agriculture department confirmed
    
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    Tuberculosis normally spreads through wild deer, mostly in a four-county area in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula
    

• 
  Bovine TB continues to pop up in Michigan, this time in a cattle herd in Alcona County
  
• 
  It’s the first case since 2022 and the 83rd since 1998 in Michigan, officials at the agriculture department confirmed
  
• 
  Tuberculosis normally spreads through wild deer, mostly in a four-county area in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula
  

(FOX 2):The agriculture department has reported an infected case in Alcona County, and officials have confirmed a case of bovine tuberculosis in a cattle herd in northern Michigan.

It is the first instance to be identified in Michigan since January 2022, but the 83rd case since 1998.

We know:

A case of bovine tuberculosis has been recorded in a northern Michigan cattle herd by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

During the herd’s yearly whole herd surveillance test, it was verified in Alcona County.

White-tailed deer, which are often a vector for the disease’s transmission to cattle, are the primary means by which bovine TB spreads throughout Michigan.

Alcona, Oscoda, Alpena, and Montmorency counties are the four counties in the northern Lower Peninsula where the majority of cases are isolated.

What is unknown to us:

The number of TB cases in deer on the lower Michigan peninsula is unknown.

There may be more cases in the cow herd, even if one was proven. The state is keeping a close eye on the location.

The backstory

Numerous instances in cattle herds have been recorded since 1998. In Michigan, the disease is not new to cattle herds.

Through its One Health collaboration, the state has attempted to eradicate the ailment. The federal government began concentrating on tuberculosis in the early 1900s, which is when that work began.

Since then, the United States has seen a significant decrease in cow TB.

However, because there are currently no effective vaccines, controlling it in wild deer, the main source of dissemination, is difficult. Another difficulty is that because symptoms of tuberculosis can take years to manifest, an infected person may not become aware of their infection for years.

• This report was based on data from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

This report was based on data from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.