By SHELLY STRAUTZ-SPRINGBORN

Michigan Correspondent

LANSING, Mich. — A revised zoning order has created new wildlife biosecurity strategies that Michigan cattle farmers will have to implement to minimize the risk of bovine tuberculosis (TB) affecting their herds.

For nearly 25 years, Michigan has been working to eradicate bovine TB from its northeastern Lower Peninsula. It has infected more than 60 herds in this area, where the disease has a natural reservoir in free-ranging whitetail deer.

According to Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) State Veterinarian James Averill, DVM, in 2016 and 2017 Michigan exceeded the number of infected cattle herds permitted by its agreement with the USDA.

“This caused the USDA to call into question the effectiveness of Michigan’s TB program and propose downgrading our status,” he explained. “A downgrade in status would decimate the cattle industry in the northeastern Lower Peninsula, impacting the entire state and costing the industry and taxpayers millions of dollars.”

Averill said the state is allowed three TB-infected cattle herds in it modified accredited zone – which consists of Montmorency, Alpena, Oscoda and Alcoma counties – during a 12-month cycle. In 2016-17, that number jumped to five.

According to Averill, the USDA saw two options: downgrade the modified accredited zone to accredited preparatory, or drop the entire state down to modified accredited. If the state’s status was lessened, it would mean whole-herd testing for all Michigan cattle herds.

“The sale of milk would also be jeopardized. We would have to get the FDA to agree that our surveillance plan for bovine TB meets their needs and is addressing the disease risk because (the disease) can be passed from animals to humans.” he said. “With dairy being our No. 1 livestock industry in the state, that would be economically devastating.

“We didn’t disagree that things need to be done differently in the whole TB program.”

The amended zoning order, which recently was approved by MDARD with support of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), creates an enhanced wildlife biosecurity area (EWB) in the four-county modified accredited zone. MDARD and the DNR are working with the approximately 130 cattle operations in this area.

“The zoning order being amended, is requiring that these farms be part of the EWB program, where we have a group of individuals visit those farms and look to see if there are any weaknesses in their biosecurity efforts,” Averill said.

“In addition to precautions to keeping cattle out of deer habitats, protecting feed and water sources, we’re taking our efforts to a higher level to be sure there are no stones left unturned. We’re doing everything we can to manage the risk of deer and cattle interactions, to be preventative and proactive.”

Within the EWB, all producers have to be assessed and changes implemented by Jan. 1, 2020. Averill said to date, more than 60 farms have been assessed, and approximately 10 have fully implemented changes. The state legislature allowed nearly $1 million in its budget to support these efforts and cost-share infrastructure enhancement for farms.

He said the other side of the coin is managing the deer population.

“The DNR and MDARD have partnered with wildlife services to go around and look to see if there are deer on farmers’ property. For deer that have become habituated, they are doing targeted removal of them to help decrease the risk of TB transmission,” Averill said.

Under the program, wildlife services will make visits to the farms three different times per year. Through a series of drive-bys, they assess the deer pressure and depopulate as necessary.

Averill said deer figure out the patterns of farmers to gain access to feed and other livestock areas. “These deer are not stupid. They know the farmer’s pattern.

“For example, they learn that the farmers will go in at a certain time, load a trailer of feed and leave with it. They know the farmer will be gone for a certain period of time, and they go in and eat. Then moments before the farmer is back, they will scoot out of the enclosure so they don’t get locked in,” he said. “This increases risk of transmission of TB from deer to cattle.

“It’s all about trying to reduce the risk. The outcome of interest is not having infected cattle herds, and the long-term goal is to return Michigan back to TB-free status.”

Statewide, 72 cattle operations have been found to be infected with bovine TB since 1998. “None of us asked for this disease, but unfortunately we have it on the landscape here in Michigan,” Averill said.

“For the 400-plus producers in northeast Michigan, their way of life has changed. They live with it and deal with it on a daily basis. They are doing all they can to protect their livelihood and investment.”