TB affects the digestive system which makes animals eat less and gain less. TB can also affect the lungs, reproductive organs, lymph nodes, and central nervous system. The cost of treatment of TB in cattle is too costly and impractical, plus TB is very contagious so animals must be quarantined. All cattle that are tested positive for Tuberculosis and any other animals that came in contact with that TB-positive animal either directly or indirectly must all be humanely euthanized. Usually this involves having the WHOLE herd euthanized. That is why TB is a huge problem.
Currently in the United States TB (tuberculosis, caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium bovis or Mycobacterium tuberculosis) is not a major problem - the prevalence is significantly under 1% of all animals in the US. However, cattle used to be a major reservoir for TB that would infect humans, so in the early 1900s a federal eradication program was started to rid the US of the bacteria. The program was wildly successful in reducing the prevalence to the point that today the most common source of TB infection in humans is other humans.
However, TB is still present in the US cattle herd and it is a federally regulated disease. Cattle that are in an area known to still have some TB must be tested prior to being shipped out of that area, which incurs an expense on the producer. More importantly, cattle that are slaughtered in the US are inspected at the slaughter plant by federal employees for signs of TB. Any lesion found that could be TB is sent to a federal lab for evaluation. If the lab results are positive for TB, the carcass must either be condemned to rendering (which will kill the bacteria) or must be cooked sufficient to kill the bacteria. As most plants no longer have the ability to cook the meat from the carcass, they will often choose to condemn the carcass which cuts into the plant's profits.
yes
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Badgers are blamed for carrying TB and passing it on to other animals, such as cattle.
The cow would pass the TB on to its milk and humans could catch if the milk wasn't treated. All cows that have TB have to be slaughtered and burned.
rinderpest
The BCG vaccine contains a strain of mycobacterium bovis, which is a bacterium that causes tuberculosis (TB) in cattle. The bacteria have been altered so that they do not cause a TB infection but make your immune system produce antibodies. These make you immune (resistant) to the disease.
because the badgers have TB (Tuberculosis) and they pass it onto their cattle. If the badgers do get culled then the farmers won't have to worry as much about their cattle getting TB. Hope this has been helpful!! :)
British farmers and successive governments have long believed that bovine TB was being spread by badgers and infecting the national dairy herd, and since the 1970s badgers have been culled by gassing (now ceased) and shooting in attempts to prevent this spread. Tests carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture in the early 1970s showed that TB was more common in badgers than in other species. In the first Badger Act (1973), meant that licenses had to be issued for the killing of badgers. However, there are various other theories concerning the transmission of TB to cattle, and badger culling remains a contentious issue in the UK. Research into the specific mechanisms of how cattle contract bovine TB from badgers and into normal levels of transmission when culling is not practised is scanty.
Spread disease
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy: Scrapie in sheep and Mad Cow disease (or Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy), cows can get TB and sheep can get foot and mouth
about 10 to 15 years
yes, people still go into hospital with TB, it is rare, but still occurs.
TB or Not TB was created on 2005-11-01.