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Bovine Tuberculosis in Mexico By Dr. William H. Brown
· There is no official estimate of the numbers of herds of cattle in Mexico infected with Tuberculosis. The highest incident is known to be in Holstein cattle.
· Cases of Tuberculosis in slaughter plants in the U.S. traced to Mexico:(a) Approximately 80 percent of all TB lesioned cattle at slaughter, in the United States, are traced to Mexico. (b) The numbers have decreased in the last two years, but we may see a rise due to the increased number of Mexican cattle imports. NUMBERS OF CATTLE IMPORTED THROUGH TEXAS PORTS
Federal Feeders Breeding Cattle In Bond Fiscal (Steers & Spayed (Sexually Intact) (Return to Mexico) Year Heifers) 1993 875,320 Included 53,136 1994 796,799 Included 29,674 10-1-94 thru 3-18-95 616,864 4,112 12,819
· Mexican slaughter cattle direct to Texas slaughter plants from Mexico. Federal Fiscal Year 1995 through March 18, 1995 = 28,490 head. With six months remaining in the Federal Fiscal Year, we can project more than one million feeders to be imported through Texas ports. Total imports have exceeded one million in previous years.
· Steps that have been taken to reduce the number of TB infected cattle entering the United States from Mexico are:(a) The Bi-National Committee was formed, and consists of U.S. and Mexican members. (b) A consensus document was written by the Border States Vets to place the burden of TB eradication on Mexico. (c) The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) revised TB rules to incorporate the contents of the consensus document. New Mexico followed suit, and Arizona and California are considering the same.
· The "in bond" feeding program ended March 29, 1995. Those cattle that entered under this program, prior to February 23, 1995, were given the option to slaughter in the U.S.
· The new rules outline a three phase program for Mexico to achieve a TB status comparable to that of Texas, or Mexico will have to stop importing feeders into Texas:(a) Phase I is to be completed by September 1, 1995. (b) Phase II is to be completed by March 1, 1997. (c) Phase III is comparable to the TB status of Texas.
What Mexico is Doing Now (a) They have acquired funding, including federal for a TB eradication campaign.
(b) They have legal authority to wage the campaign.
(c) They have a signed agreement between SARH, (USDA Counterpart), UGR's (Mexican Cattle Unions), and State Governments.
(d) They have organized working groups for implementation of the campaign. (See chart below.)
(e) Movement control of all cattle. Each state has established check points; some have working facilities to test, dip for parasites, or may return cattle to origin.
(f) Mexico prohibits the exportation of Holstein cattle to the U.S.
BASIC ORGANIZATIONAL CHART
UGR, SARH, STATE
EXPORT SCENARIO - HOW MEXICAN CATTLE ARE EXPORTED TO TEXAS
(a) Feeders (steers and spayed heifers) are TB tested within 60 days prior to delivery at Texas ports. They are inspected for order disease conditions at the port, and dipped for cattle fever ticks. A Texas entry permit is obtained, usually by a customs broker at the border. The cattle cross into Texas, and are then unloaded at private pens in Texas where they are weighed and sorted, and then either shipped to be grass-fed or to feedlots.
(b) Sexually intact cattle are tested in Mexico for Brucellosis and TB. Once in Texas, they are held for post entry testing for these two diseases at their final destination at the owner’s expense. TB testing is done no sooner than 120 days post entry, and Brucellosis no sooner than 180 days. First calf heifers are tested for Brucellosis no sooner than 30 days after calving their first time. These cattle enter Texas through the same channels as feeders.
Problems in Mexico (a) Peso devaluation is presently at approximately 50 percent Mexican producers want to sell for dollars rather than for the unstable peso. This is the primary cause for the glut of Mexican cattle now.
(b) Mexico is behind the U.S. in slaughter surveillance and laboratory capabilities (histopathology and bacteriology). They have limited TB slaughter tracebacks since some plants are not inspected, and have no post mortem exam. They do receive U.S. slaughter plant reports and NVSL Lab reports on Mexican origin cattle.
(c) "Down the Road" testing and export testing seem to be their primary indicators for TB infected herds. They have launched extensive education programs to aid their campaign.
(d) Severe drought hampers testing schedules. Large ranches are more easily tested, but they encounter some difficulty in the case of ejidos (or agricultural communes), and with Indians. Individual ejido residents own an average of four to five cattle.
· Texas and U.S. Technical Assistance:
(a) Several seminars have been held, and more are planned for the education and training of technical personnel. These are jointly presented by the Texas Animal Health Commission and USDA.
Mexican officials have taken a positive attitude toward their campaign. They are interested in keeping their U.S. market open, as well as achieving and maintaining disease free herds.
· TAHC Bi-National Office in Laredo, Texas:
(a) Ongoing sharing of information, and experience at the "grass roots" level through personal visits. Groups and individuals are informed about such items as import regulations, and U.S. Program Requirements.
(b) Planning and carrying out many activities such as exchange of visits to testing sites, slaughter plants, and markets.
(c) Transmitting Brucellosis test results and TB trace results to facilitate traceback efforts in Mexico.
(d) Assisting the preparation of the Mexican states for the deadline of September 1, 1995, for the completion of Phase I of their eradication effort.
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