USDA reaches deal with two Fresno County TB herds

Aug. 8, 2008 - - Animal health officials have reached deals to depopulate two dairy herds in Fresno County where bovine tuberculosis has been detected, but negotiations are still continuing with the largest dairy touched by the disease, according to a published report in Capital Press. The two owners of the remaining dairy are in the process of negotiating with USDA, said Larry Hawkins, USDA spokesman in California. The remaining dairy had one cow test positive for the disease out of the 13,000 cows on the dairy.
USDA is working with the dairy owners on indemnity, Hawkins said, but due to the large number of cows and their higher value due to a purebred breeding program, they are looking carefully into the possibility of splitting the herd into low-risk and high-risk groups. The entire dairy is under quarantine order and can only move animals off the premises to be sold for slaughter. Dairy cattle from a second herd where bovine TB was detected were being sent to slaughter last week after an agreement was reached with the dairy owner. That was the second Fresno County dairy that has been depopulated after the tuberculosis outbreak was detected late last year. CDFA officials said about 900 cattle from the dairy were slaughtered or euthanized and sent to a rendering plant. The first depopulated herd contained about 4,500 animals. State crews are in the process of a premises clean-up at that site.