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October 17, 2013
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Online Community News for Lumby, Cherryville, Rural Coldstream and Highway 6
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Feature Report:
Bovine Tuberculosis discovered in Cherryville
CFIA Exclusive to MVS:
Bovine TB issue continues
July 2, 2011 – Don Elzer
“Quarantines continue” those were the words from Dr. Robert Cooper of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). In an exclusive interview with MVS, Dr. Cooper diplomatically addressed tough questions regarding the current Bovine TB outbreak in Cherryville.
CFIA is wrapped in protocols that prevent them from making public the details of the outbreak, in fact you won’t hear any CFIA official acknowledge officially that there is a Bovine TB outbreak in “Cherryville” they will only say that there is a case somewhere in British Columbia.
Cooper expands on the reality of these protocols, “The testing process is long and extensive and we don’t make details public until we feel comfortable that we know the complete facts”. Cooper said that he doesn’t expect a public domain document to be released about the case for months, or even longer.
“We treat Bovine TB like other serious diseases which means that we have to determine two primary elements - the first, how much disease is in the herd; and secondly can we determine the origin?”
Within this most current case Cooper says, “We still don’t know the origin”.
He adds that there are still quarantines in the area so that testing can continue and that CFIA treat the situation as a risk that remains high.
When asked if the CFIA is preventing local ranchers from moving their cattle to public rangelands, Cooper replied, “CFIA can only manage herds on farms that are presently under quarantine”.
Cooper would not confirm local reports that 300-400 cows directly associated with the outbreak were either moved or destroyed but he did say that there will be cows destroyed as part of cautionary measures, but added that currently there have been no additional discoveries of Bovine TB outside of the original animal.
“There will be cows automatically destroyed which is a uniformed approach used North American wide in cases such as this so that the province can insure that its Bovine TB Free Status can remain intact”.
Cooper says that there are over 50 CFIA officials on this particular case, some are working on site, others are part of the research, testing and consulting process.
“We use a team approach to solving the case and we utilized a spider network of people who collaborate in labs across the country with on-site professionals as well as local farmers and expertise.
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Bovine TB in Cherryville:
Public Health Response
in Question
July 2, 2011 – By Don Elzer
According to Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) spokesperson Dr. Robert Cooper one cow was discovered with Bovine Tuberculosis at a U.S. slaughterhouse in mid-April.
In keeping with CFIA reporting protocols, Cooper could not say where in the United States the slaughterhouse was located but did share that the discovery was confirmed as a result on a “culture test” and that the tests were performed by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and then reported to CFIA. From that point the cow’s documentation was traced back to British Columbia and to the farm the cow originated from.
“Each country is responsible for testing on animals on their soil, information is then shared between the USDA and the CFIA,” said Cooper who added that the process is part of international protocols.
After the initial confirmation, CFIA exercised its full authority and moved to quarantine and begin testing local herds. Local reports stated that CFIA isolated herds and animals on various farms if those animals had recent or historical contact with the farm where the original infection is believed to have happened. CFIA then reached back 5 years into a farms herd history which created a cascade effect of testing, which then widened to include additional farms and ranches.
While the original Bovine TB case was confirmed in mid-April, CFIA didn’t make public the discovery until a month later when they posted the discovery May 16th on the CFIA website stating that the farm in question was somewhere in British Columbia.
“There is a formal process of reporting these events on a regular monthly basis”, said Cooper who outlined that the Bovine TB report surfaced on May 16th as part of the regular CFIA update. He also added that there were no specifics shared as part of that initial announcement because testing would be still a work in progress.
However by mid-June, two months after the initial discovery, CFIA still had not made any local public announcement and it wasn’t until June 22 when MVS broke the story in the media. When asked if CFIA was concerned about any public health risk in that period, Cooper responded, “ From the beginning, CFIA was working with local livestock producers and in direct communication with high level ministry officials in BC; we then leave public health reporting to them and their appropriate jurisdictions”.
Currently, MVS has not interviewed provincial officials but has left messages with Interior Heath. However, in the process of gathering background, MVS has discovered a document prepared by the North Okanagan Regional District which clearly outlines local protocols for disease control. The North Okanagan Mass Carcass Disposal Plan was developed in 2008 under the provisions of the UBCM Farmed Animal Mass Carcass Disposal Project Emergency Planning Program. The plan process directly engaged CFIA, BC Ministry of Environment and various public health stakeholders who collectively created a public response mechanism for zoonotic diseases like Bovine TB.
The plan clearly outlines the following public information strategy:
An effective public information strategy is an essential part of managing an emergency. The public will demand information even if the effects of the emergency are limited, which will put an enormous premium on what local officials say publicly and how they say it. Negative public reaction can often be defused by an articulate, calm and confident spokesperson that is able to reassure the public that the response is appropriate and effective.
Experience has shown that there will be a high demand for information throughout disposal operations. The effective fusion of information is particularly important as there are likely to be several levels of responders involved. The key is to have designated public information officers and/or spokespersons from the outset, including industry representatives, who cooperate closely with each other. A clear, timely and consistent message is essential.
All organizations involved must ensure that the overarching requirement to deliver information is not unduly delayed by a perceived need to assemble complete information. The public wants to know the situation and should be briefed accordingly. An information officer should be in the EOC at all times to collect and coordinate the information being received, and to ensure that the media and public are briefed regularly and comprehensively
Certain questions remain as to why CFIA, the Province, local government and livestock producers have together engaged in keeping the Bovine TB event in Cherryville very quiet, even with dangers that may emerge with regards to carcass disposal and the jump of Bovine TB into the wildlife population.
According to Dr. Cooper of the CFIA, “We don’t have a direct mandate for wildlife, and while were still within the investigation stage, the wildlife component of the Bovine TB risk is driven by the province”.
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