On March 28, 1994, Texas achieved Class "A" status for Brucellosis eradication. Texas herd population is 147,000 herds with a current count of 133 quarantined herds. Texas has a 12 month accumulative quarantined herd count of 286 and a herd infection rate of 19 percent. Texas became the 18th state to go Class "A" and the other 32 states are Class Free.

Major program changes Texas used to go from Class "B" to "A" :

t 1987 - all Texas livestock markets had first-point testing in place. Prior to this time, several markets did not participate.

t Staff was upgraded with more professionals - field veterinarians and epidemiologists. These staff members met with producers and worked to change the image of the Texas Animal Health Commission to one of "health promotion and customer service" to encourage greater program cooperation.

t Flexible herd plans were initiated with significant producer input.

t The liberal use of calfhood and adult vaccination was necessary to provide resistance to Brucellosis.

t In 1989, area testing began in heavily infected counties or portions of counties. Prior to each test, producer meetings gave ranchers time to get answers, explanations and goals of the program.

t The definition of a herd was also revised to include all cattle under common ownership or management. Therefore all cattle were tested within the herd, unless waived by an epidemiologist.

t Expanded, aggressive adjacent herd testing helped find infection. Using plat maps and detailed epidemiological investigations, the staff could focus on the source and spread of disease.

t Texas Accumulative Epidemiological Information 1991 through 1993: A total of 995 newly quarantined herds were examined during the three fiscal years - 1991 through 1993.

t Forty-one percent of the herds had one unit; 59 percent were comprised of multiple units; 30 percent of the multiple unit herds had infection in more than one unit.

t On the initial herd test of the 995 herds, 44 percent had a single reactor, 47 percent had multiple reactors, and 62 had none.

t During this time, 20 percent of the multi-unit herds did not have all units tested.

t Thirty-seven percent of the herds (995) had a previous history of hold order and/or quarantine. Twenty-eight percent of the 995 herds exhibited clinical signs of Brucellosis.

t In half of the herds, diagnosis was confirmed by culture: Bio type I accounted for infection in 413 herds, Bio type II in 76 herds, Bio type IV in 1 herd, and Strain 19 in 6 herds. 294 herds gave non-isolate results.

t In 56 of the 995 herds, infection was long-standing, while in 44 percent of the herds infection lasted less than two years. Fourty-four percent of the herds had an excellent prognosis.

Major revisions for Texas to reach Class "Free"

t Rule of thumb - for every infected herd, there is one yet undetected. On April 1, 1994, Texas had 133 quarantined herds - is there another 133 to be found?

t Goal: Keep USDA, Texas Animal Health Commission and producers focused on reaching Class "Free." To do this, Texas must fight complacency to let up on the program, and maintain core federal and state funding and staffing.

t Keeping a complete database in the BRRS system of Negative and Positive test results is vital to epidemiological tracing. Continuing first-point testing through Class "Free" is also crucial.

t Restricting heifers that come from consignments with reactors is essential. Another heifer issue: If it’s too late, don’t vaccinate! Begin encouraging and eventually, possibly requiring vaccination of heifers to be accomplished between the ages of four and eight months.

t Expanded adjacent herd testing must conform to national standards! Texas Animal Health Commission regulations have been changed to reach one mile from infected herds.