Diseased cows worry Montana

Matthew Brown, Associated Press

Saturday, May 19, 2007

BILLINGS - Seven cows traced to a ranch in the southern part of the state have tested positive for the livestock disease brucellosis, state officials said Friday.

If a second herd is found to have the disease, which causes pregnant cattle to abort their calves, Montana could lose its coveted brucellosis-free certification from the federal government.

That would force a prolonged and costly testing and vaccination program for the state's 2.5 million cattle, state officials and industry representatives said.

The source of the Bridger outbreak is under investigation by state and federal agriculture agents. State officials said that will include testing of other herds that might have come into contact with the diseased one to determine if the brucellosis has spread.

Brucellosis was thought to be eradicated from livestock in Montana in 1985. But the disease persisted in elk and bison herds in and around Yellowstone National Park and recent outbreaks in two neighboring states, Idaho and Wyoming, were linked to Yellowstone elk.

"We are concerned about our brucellosis-free status," Gov. Brian Schweitzer said. "Federal and state agencies are investigating the test results now."

The likelihood that the outbreak originated in Yellowstone's bison was characterized as "remote" because of the extreme measures state and federal officials have taken to keep the animals separated. That includes slaughtering bison that wander onto rangeland.

A link between elk and the diseased herd remains a possibility, state officials said.

Almost 300 cows from the affected herd will be quarantined until the investigation is complete, state Department of Livestock officials said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture requires the herd to be slaughtered within 60 days for the state to keep its brucellosis-free status.

Even if the outbreak in Montana is limited to a single herd, the perception of the state's livestock industry could suffer, said Jay Bodner, with the Montana Stockgrowers Association.

Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., said Friday the state must "do all we can" to protect the reputation of its livestock and what he called the "cachet" Montana beef has on the market.

A brucellosis outbreak in northwest Wyoming in 2003 cost that state's livestock industry millions of dollars and prompted Colorado to temporarily close its borders to Wyoming cattle, said Jim Magagna, vice president of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association.

Wyoming finally regained its brucellosis-free certification from the federal Department of Agriculture in September, said Teresa Howes of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

But the consequences of the outbreak are still being dealt with through more aggressive testing and vaccination programs, Magagna said. The state has spent $4 million on the programs to date, and livestock producers have suffered an additional $5 million in losses, Magagna said.

Idaho lost its brucellosis-free status in 2005 and has yet to regain it. The only other state not brucellosis-free is Texas.