CFIA says Prince George Herd Not Infected With TB From Vanderhoof Bull

By 250 News

Prince George, B.C. - A disease control specialist with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Sandra Stephen, says the Prince George animals that came in contact with a bull that had TB, were tested and are expected to be tested again for the disease but there is no suggestion they contracted TB.

Stephen, speaking from the field office in Saskatoon, says the 25 animals in question may have come in contact with the infected bull from a Vanderhoof herd which was being pastured next door, but so far, tests show that there is no TB present.

“We will test them again, it is an ongoing process" she said. Asked about why the Vanderhoof herd was destroyed along with goats and a Llama, Stephen said that the risk of transferring the disease in a winter surrounding is much higher than in the summer pasture. The fact that the bull may have bred one of the cows in the Prince George herd she says does not mean the heifer would become infected.

Stephen says TB says  can take a long time to manifest itself "And that is why the tests will be ongoing."

The Vanderhoof  ranchers have said they did not believe the infected bull which tested positive for TB was from their ranch. Stephen says that question has been put to rest "We have now concluded, following extensive testing that the bull from Vanderhoof and the bull which tested positive in a Quebec slaughter house were the same animal. We did genetic tests to ensure ourselves that was the case".

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