From: Julee Hasbany [mailto:hasbanyj@STATE.MI.US]
Sent: Friday, January 14, 2000 11:41 AM
To: DNRWIRE@LISTSERV.CNOC.STATE.MI.US
Subject: Antrim County Deer Tests Positive
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, 14 JAN 00
CONTACT: Tim Roby, 517-373-1214
ANTRIM COUNTY DEER TESTS POSITIVE
LANSING--A wild deer from Antrim County has been determined by the Michigan Department of Community Health Laboratory to be culture positive for bovine tuberculosis, Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Veterinarian Dr. Steven Schmitt said today. This is the first wild deer to be found positive for the disease outside of the Movement Restriction Zone, the area in Northeastern Michigan bounded by I-75, M-55 and Lake Huron.
"The finding of a positive deer outside this area does not necessarily mean that the disease has recently spread," Dr. Schmitt said. "It is more likely that cases that already existed in other areas of the state have been detected due to the greatly increased surveillance that occurred during 1999."
In response to finding a TB-positive deer in Antrim County, even greater surveillance in a 5-mile and a 25-mile radius around the positive deer will be implemented by the DNR with the continued assistance of hunters and others. In addition, surveillance for tuberculosis in wild deer will also be increased statewide for the year 2000.
The test result on the Antrim County deer was not a surprise, according to Michigan State eterinarian Dr. Mike Chaddock. "The TB-positive results on the Antrim deer have been anticipated and will cause no immediate change in either the bovine TB testing program or quarantine in Northeast Michigan," Dr. Chaddock said. "In Northwest Michigan, our staff has already begun identifying all cattle, goats, livestock and captive deer and elk within a 10-mile radius of the Antrim County deer. We will continue to work with the livestock industry to provide information and whole-herd testing in that area, to assess whether the deer finding has parallels in the livestock."
Test results of two additional TB-suspect deer in Mecosta and Osceola counties are expected in the next few weeks. The US Department of Agriculture is planning to review Michigan's bovine TB program in February. Information from that review will be the basis for determining any change in Michigan's bovine TB status.
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