BEMIDJI, Minn. — Dr. Sherry Shaw of the U.S. Department of Agriculture will provide an update on the bovine tuberculosis in Minnesota and across the nation during a 3 p.m. program Monday, Nov. 17, at the Bemidji State University Center for Research and Innovation, located at 3801 Bemidji Avenue North.
Part of the Bemidji Area Natural Resources Continuing Education Consortium series, the 90-minute presentation is open to the public at no charge.
Bovine TB is a contagious chronic bacterial disease that often doesn’t show signs until it reaches an advanced stage. It primarily affects cattle, but can be transmitted to any warm-blooded animal. It is spread through feed or watering sites contaminated with saliva and other discharges. The risk of exposure is greatest in enclosed areas, such as barns with poor ventilation. Since early detection is difficult and contamination likely within a herd, the current strategy to contain the spread is depopulating livestock where bovine TB is found.
The first animal affected in Minnesota was found in 2005 near Skime, Minn., and 11 herds in the area were determined to have been infected. Over 450,000 cattle have been tested in Minnesota over the past three years with 24 positive tests. All 24 were among the 11 herds in the TB zone, which includes parts of Marshall, Roseau, Beltrami and Lake of the Woods counties.
Shaw works within the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. APHIS is charged with providing leadership in ensuring the health and care of animals and plants. It is working with producers, partner states, and industry leaders in eradicating bovine TB from the United States.
Shaw, currently the area epidemiology officer in St. Paul, Minn.,will begin the session with an overview of bovine TB, explaining what it is and why it is an important issue.
Shaw has been with the USDA since 2000. She served over four years with the food safety inspection service in North Dakota and Wisconsin before joining the veterinary services area in St. Paul. She graduated from the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine and practiced in Wisconsin for nine years and Montana for two. She also has a master’s in public health from the University of Minnesota.
The presentation is part of an on-going series of natural resources programs usually offered on the third Monday of each month. While covering topics of general interest, the sessions are designed for professionals working in the natural resource area and may be technical in nature. Groups participating in organizing the consortium include the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the Chippewa National Forest, Leech Lake Division of Resource Management, Ainsworth, and the Red Lake Reservation.
Individuals who wish to be added to the Bemidji Area Natural Resources Continuing Education Consortium mailing list or have questions about this program should contact the Bemidji State University Center for Research and Innovation at (218) 755-4900; toll free, (888) 738-3224; email, cri@bemidjistate.edu; or at http://www.cri-bsu.org.
FOR YOUR CALENDAR
Nov. 17 – 3 p.m. – Bemidji State University Center for Research and Innovation hosts Bemidji Area Natural Resources Continuing Education Consortium presentation on bovine tuberculosis. Presenter: Dr. Sherry Shaw, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Location: CRI; 3801 Bemidji Ave. N.; Bemidji, Minn. Cost: free. For information: (218) 755-4900; (888) 738-3224; http://www.cri-bsu.org.