Bovine tuberculosis has been confirmed in South Dakota cattle for the first time since 2021, State Veterinarian Beth Thompson said Tuesday.
The infected steer was identified in late October by meat inspectors during a routine inspection at a Wisconsin packing plant. Records linked the steer to a Hamlin County, South Dakota, feedlot that had marketed the animal. The infection was confirmed by the National Veterinary Surveillance Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, on Dec. 6.
The State Veterinarian’s Office said it is working with the feedlot owner and other producers who may have sold animals purchased by the feedlot, as well as federal officials and area veterinarians, to locate the steer’s source herd.
“Necessary precautions are being taken to protect the health of South Dakota’s cattle industry,” the State Veterinarian’s Office said in a news release.
The cattle industry is a major part of South Dakota’s economy, with U.S. Department of Agriculture data showing there are more than 3 million cattle in the state.
Bovine tuberculosis is not considered a threat to food safety, thanks to milk pasteurization and meat inspection programs, the State Veterinarian’s Office said.
But the chronic, slowly progressive respiratory disease can be transmitted among cattle when they’re in close proximity for prolonged periods. Cattle rarely exhibit visible signs of illness, and testing of cattle herds is necessary to determine if animals are infected.
