Bovine tuberculosis case reported in Manitoba

A case of bovine tuberculosis has been detected in Manitoba.

According to a notice from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), the disease was found through culture testing of tissues collected from a seven-year-old cow at a Manitoba slaughter facility. The CFIA has linked the cow to a herd in the Pembina Valley Region.

Bovine tuberculosis has been subject to a national eradication program for over 100 years and generally does not pose a threat to public health. Though Canada is considered free of the disease, isolated cases can pop up.

The CFIA explained that human cases of bovine tuberculosis are rare; however, exposure can occur through the passage of fluids from an infected animal to an open sore, close contact with an animal with respiratory tuberculosis, or consuming unpasteurized animal products from an infected animal.

The CFIA is in the early stages of its investigation. Updates will be posted as more information becomes available.

The herd the infected cow originated from is under quarantine until testing and depopulation are finished.