Bovine TB Timeline

July

Beef cattle herd in Roseau County was found TB-positive.

An infected animal was found at a Wisconsin slaughter plant and traced to Minnesota. The Board initiated a disease investigation to find potentially exposed animals.

September

Two beef cattle herds in Roseau County were found TB-positive. These herds had fence line contact with the first herd.

October

Another beef cattle herd in Roseau County was found TB-positive. This operation purchased cattle from the first herd in 2003.

November

Two TB-positive wild white-tailed deer found.

January

Minnesota's TB status downgraded to Modified Accredited Advanced.

The USDA downgraded Minnesota's TB status from TB-Free to Modified Accredited Advanced (MAA) after the fifth herd (located in Beltrami County) was discovered. This change brought increased testing and movement restrictions to the state.

June

Bill passed Minnesota Legislature approving additional funds for TB eradication and increasing the Board's authority to test animals as needed.

August

Board begins statewide TB surveillance testing.

Herds were selected to test based on criteria developed by the USDA. Statewide testing was required to prove that TB was not present throughout the state.

October

Additional beef cattle herds found in Roseau County

The sixth herd had previously tested negative for TB, but had fence line contact with the first herd. The seventh beef cattle herd was found TB-positive in Beltrami County. It was located within 10 miles of an infected herd.

November

DNR imposes deer feeding ban in the 4,000 square mile area of northwestern Minnesota to reduce potential disease transmission.

January

Five free-ranging white tailed deer found TB-positive in northwestern Minnesota. All five were in close proximity to previously infected cattle herds.

October

Eighth beef cattle herd found TB-positive. The herd was located in Beltrami County.

December

Statewide surveillance testing complete. More than 1,500 cattle herds tested negative for TB.

January

Ninth TB-positive beef cattle herd found. This Roseau County herd was within 10 miles of an infected cattle herd and infected deer. It tested negative for TB in 2005 and in 2006.

February

Two additional beef cattle herds found positive.

• The tenth herd was found after testing negative in 2005 and 2006. This herd was in close proximity to the first herd.
• The eleventh positive beef cattle herd was found in Beltrami County. This herd was also in close proximity to the first herd.

April

Minnesota's TB status downgraded from MAA to Modified Accredited (MA).
The USDA downgraded Minnesota's TB status to MA, two steps below TB-Free, after 11 TB-infected herds were found in the state.

May

Governor Tim Pawlenty signed TB bill into law

• The law appropriated additional funding to the Board to increase livestock testing, strengthen movement requirements, conduct a herd buyout in northwestern Minnesota, and construct deer-exclusion fencing.
• The Board implemented additional movement and testing requirements on an area in northwestern Minnesota known as the proposed Modified Accredited Zone.

June

Board applied to the USDA for Split State Status. The status would allow a majority of the state to upgrade to MAA. The small area in northwestern Minnesota where TB was found would remain MA.

July

Buyout contracts signed. Of the 67 eligible producers, 46 signed herd buyout contracts. As a result of the buyout, more than 6,200 head of cattle were removed from the Management Zone by January 31, 2009.

October

Minnesota's Split State Status approved by the USDA enabling the state to dedicate TB resources to the MA Zone.

December

Buyout herd found positive at slaughter; surveillance in deer continues.

• Three cows from a Beltrami County buyout herd were found to be TB-positive at slaughter.
• This finding did not affect Minnesota's TB status but reinforced the need of the buyout program to remove potentially infected animals from northwestern Minnesota.
• DNR tested more than 1,250 deer for TB in and around the MA Zone. No clinical suspects were found.
• USDA held listening sessions across the country to solicit ideas and opinions about the national TB program. Ideas from the listening sessions will be implemented in the USDA's program restructuring.

January

Buyout program complete with more than 6,200 head of cattle removed from the Management Zone as of January 31, 2009.

TB Assessment begins

As part of the bill passed in 2008, a year-long $1 per head assessment on Minnesota-raised cattle sales began in January 2009. The money generated through the assessment went to help carry out eradication activities in the MA Zone. Producers in the MA Zone were exempt from paying the assessment.
Upon completion of the assessment on December 31, more than $900,000 was collected for TB eradication in the MA Zone.

November

USDA review team visit.

A USDA review team visited Minnesota. The team examined Minnesota's overall TB response, including movement documents, test charts, communications, and program requirements. The review was very positive overall, and brought the state one step closer to regaining TB Free status.

Year-long events

Risk Assessments in the MA Zone

• In 2009 all cattle, bison, goat, and deer and elk operations in the MA Zone underwent a livestock/wildlife interaction risk assessment.
• The assessment evaluated different areas of production including how feed is stored, where livestock are fed, deer exclusion practices, and water sources to determine risk factors that could lead to the spread of bovine TB.
• Assessments were completed as part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the USDA and the State of Minnesota in order to maintain Minnesota's Split State Status.

Surveillance Testing

Approximately 500 cattle herds in close proximity to the MA Zone were TB-tested as part of statewide TB surveillance detailed in the MOU. All herds tested negative.

March

Application for status upgrade submitted.

Following the USDA review team visit in 2009, the State of Minnesota applied to the USDA for an upgrade in TB status for each of the state's TB zones. The application requested that the portion of the state that is currently MAA be upgraded to TB Free and the portion of northwest Minnesota that is currently MA become MAA.
The state anticipates the status upgrades will become effective in October 2010.

April

USDA issues Federal Order.

• The USDA issued a Federal Order suspending portions of the TB regulations. Under the order, the USDA has the authority to determine whether or not to downgrade a state's TB status based on scientific analysis of risk.
• The Federal Order also suspended the federal rule requiring breeding cattle to be TB tested before leaving a MAA Zone.

October

USDA upgrades Minnesota's Bovine TB Status.

The majority of Minnesota has been upgraded to bovine Tuberculosis (TB) Accredited-Free, and a small area in northwest Minnesota changed to Modified Accredited Advanced (MAA).

May

Minnesota applied for statewide TB-Free status

October

USDA Approves Minnesota's TB-Free Status

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved Minnesota's application for statewide TB-Free status, effective October 4, 2011. The approval came six years after the discovery of an infected beef herd in July 2005.