When Tuberculosis Hits Animals

When Tuberculosis Hits Animals
Experts say the most effective form of control is to destroy cattle herds that have been exposed to bovine tuberculosis. Transcript of radio broadcast:
21 April 2008

This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

Bovine tuberculosis is a progressive wasting disease. It affects mainly cattle but also sheep, goats, pigs and other animals. People who get bovine TB have to take strong antibiotics for up to nine months to cure them.

Humans can get sick from infected cows by drinking milk that has not been heated to kill germs. Another risk is eating meat that has not been cooked to seventy-four degrees Celsius.

If an infected animal is processed, cutting through lung or lymph tissue can spread the M. bovis bacteria to other parts of the meat.

Bovine TB is a major problem in parts of Africa. Farmers in Canada and Britain have also lost many cattle in recent years. In Britain, debate continues about whether badgers pass TB to other animals.

Infected cows might lose weight and develop a cough, which spreads the bacteria through the air. Or they can appear healthy. Then, when they give birth, their calves can get infected by drinking their milk.

In the early twentieth century, bovine TB probably killed more animals in the United States than all other diseases combined. To control it, the government launched a highly successful testing program. Historians say animal doctors ordered the destruction of about four million cattle between nineteen seventeen and nineteen forty.

But currently, the state of Michigan in the Midwest is fighting an outbreak of tuberculosis in cattle. Experts identified wild deer as the source of infection. More recently the neighboring state of Minnesota has also had to deal with TB in cattle and deer.

Cows and wild deer can infect each other -- for example, if they share cattle feed left in fields during winter. Possible solutions might include building fences or leaving smaller amounts of hay.

Michigan's agriculture director announced this month that the state will receive more than three million dollars in emergency federal aid. Michigan will use the money to increase prevention and testing activities, and to pay farmers who have to destroy infected cattle.

Since nineteen ninety-four, the state has spent close to one hundred million dollars on control efforts. Michigan officials say no TB has been found in cattle outside the containment area.

Experts say the most effective form of control is to destroy cattle herds that have been exposed to bovine tuberculosis. This prevents any chance that infected cows might be moved to another farm.

And that’s the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, written by Jerilyn Watson. I’m Bob Doughty.

----------------------------Google Translate

当结核病访问动物
专家说，最有效的形式控制的是摧毁牛群说，曾接触到牛结核病。全文电台广播：
2008年4月21日

这是美国之音特别英语农业部报告。

牛结核病是一种渐进式消耗性疾病。它的影响主要是家畜，而且绵羊，山羊，猪和其他动物。的人牛结核病已采取强有力的抗生素长达9个月的治疗。

人类生病了，从感染牛喝牛奶，没有加热杀死病菌。另一个风险是，吃肉已被煮熟至74摄氏度。

如果受感染的动物，是处理中，贯穿肺部或淋巴组织，可以散布牛型分枝杆菌细菌其他部分的肉。

牛结核病是一个重大问题，在非洲部分地区。农民在加拿大和英国也失去了许多牛只，近年来在英国，辩论仍在继续，是否獾通过结核病给其他动物。

受感染的牛可能失去重量，并制定咳嗽，其中散布细菌通过空气。他们或者可以出现健康。然后，当他们出生时，他们的犊牛可以得到感染，饮用牛奶。

在20世纪初，牛结核病可能杀害更多的动物，在美国比任何其他疾病的总和。控制它，政府推出了一项极为成功的测试计划。历史学家说，动物医生下令销毁大约400万头牛之间的1917年和1940年。

但目前，美国密歇根州政府在中西部是战斗爆发了结核病的牛只。专家们确定了野生鹿由于感染源。最近，周边国家的明尼苏达州，也不得不面对结核病牛和鹿。

牛和野生鹿能感染对方-例如，如果他们共享牛饲料留在领域在冬季。可能的解决方案可能包括建设围栏或留下少量的干草。

美国密歇根州的农业总本月宣布，该国将获得超过300万美元的紧急联邦援助。密歇根州将利用这笔钱，以提高预防和试验活动，并支付农民已销毁受感染的牛只。

自1994年，国家先后投入近1.0亿美元，对管制的努力。密歇根州官员说，没有结核已发现在牛以外的遏制。

专家说，最有效的形式控制的是摧毁牛群说，曾接触到牛结核病。这可以防止任何机会受感染的牛可能转移到另一个农场。

这也是该美国之音特别英语农业部报告，写jerilyn沃森。我鲍勃奥尔布赖特在强悍。