Tuberculosis confirmed in northern Michigan cattle herd is state's first since 2022 | FOX 2 Detroit

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

Officials have confirmed a case of bovine tuberculosis in a northern Michigan cattle herd, with the agriculture department reporting the infected case in Alcona County.

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

What we know:

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has reported a case of bovine TB in a beef herd in northern Michigan.

It was confirmed in Alcona County during the herd's regular annual whole herd surveillance test. 

Bovine TB mostly spreads through Michigan's white-tailed deer population, which are frequently a vector for transmitting the disease to cattle. 

Cases are primarily isolated to four counties in the northern Lower Peninsula, in Alcona, Oscoda, Alpena, and Montmorency counties. 

What we don't know:

It's unclear how many TB cases are in deer in the lower Michigan peninsula. 

While one case was confirmed in the cattle herd, there could be more. The state is actively monitoring the site.

The backstory:

Since 1998, dozens of cases have been confirmed in cattle herds. The illness is not new to cattle herds in Michigan. 

The state has worked to eradicate the illness with the help of its One Health partnership. That work goes back to the early 1900s when the federal government first started focusing on tuberculosis. 

Since then, TB in cows has been greatly reduced in the U.S.

However, controlling it in wild deer, the primary source of spread, is tough due to no effective vaccines. Another challenge is that someone with tuberculosis may not know they're infected for years because it can take a while for symptoms to develop.

HealthMichigan