LANSING, Mich. — Michigan Department of Agriculture Director Don Koivisto recently signed an updated version of the zoning rules for bovine Tuberculosis (TB) to bring the Michigan rules in line with federal rules.
The federal TB program recently relaxed the rules for movement in a Bovine Tuberculosis (TB) Modified Accredited Advanced Zone (MAAZ) to provide free-movement of unaffected cattle herds.
Until this order was signed, a bovine TB test was required on all MAAZ cattle before crossing a federal zonal boundary, even if they were not near TB infected wildlife. Now, producers in Subzones 2 and 3 of the MAAZ may freely move cattle across a federal zonal boundary as long as they have a movement permit and electronic ID.
All Michigan cattle must have electronic ID before they may move from a farm. (Scroll down for an educational video on the issue from the Michigan Dept. of Agriculture.)
Stifle movement
“One of the goals of the bovine TB eradication effort is to decrease the interaction between wildlife and domestic cattle,” said Dr. James Averill, MDA’s Bovine TB Eradication Program coordinator.
“This federal order reinforces Michigan’s requirements for movement and will go a long way in helping prevent any potential spread of the disease through cattle sales and purchases.”
Exceptions
Michigan and Minnesota have subzones that are exceptions to this new order because both states have bovine TB in wildlife.
In Subzone 1 of the MAAZ (Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Emmet, and Otsego counties) cattle coming from a USDA accredited TB free herd may move across a federal zonal boundary without a movement test.
Cattle moving from non-accredited farms in Subzone 1 may cross a federal zonal boundary without a movement test if they have a winter-verified Wildlife Risk Mitigation Plan and have passed a whole herd test for TB since that winter verification.
Those who do not meet either of the above requirements must test their cattle within 60 days before movement across a federal zonal boundary.
Subzone 1 cattle must also be accompanied by a movement certificate when they leave a farm premises.
All cattle in Subzone 1 must participate in the bovine TB surveillance program.
Herds selling breeding animals are required to do an annual whole herd test of all animals 18 months of age and older, while those selling feeder calves and dairies must do a whole herd test every two years, and feedlots must do a whole herd test every three years.
TB detected
To date Michigan’s 2010 surveillance activities — testing free-ranging deer and whole-herd testing of cattle — have detected bovine TB in a Cheboygan County wild, free-ranging white-tailed deer and in an Emmet County cattle herd in far northern Michigan.
For this reason, Subzone 1 has more stringent requirements for movement than Subzones 2 and 3 of the MAAZ.
Michigan Department of Agriculture video
