Texas livestock health officials, striving to protect Texas' hard-earned cattle tuberculosis (TB)-free status, have adopted new cattle entry, testing and movement regulations that go into effect Saturday, October 13. The 13 commissioners for the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) have tightened regulations, due to concerns about the recent findings of cattle TB infection in two New Mexico dairies, a Colorado bucking bull herd, and an Oklahoma beef herd. Additionally, over the past two years, at least five infected cattle herds and infection in free-ranging deer have been identified in Minnesota. For several years, Michigan also has waged war against TB in both cattle and free-ranging deer.

Texas originally achieved cattle TB-free status in 2000, only to lose it in 2002, after two infected cattle herds were detected. To regain the state's status and ability to move and market cattle without restrictions, a rigorous TB testing program was initiated to detect any remaining infection and provide proof of sufficient disease surveillance. In October 2006, Texas regained its TB-free status, after testing 342,937 cattle in the state's 818 dairies, and 128,489 head in 2,014 beef purebred and seed stock herds.

[This release includes a brief overview of the 4 new regulations]

Full text: http://www.tahc.state.tx.us