USDA Removes Temporary Restrictions on Cattle and Bison Imports from British Columbia

(Feedstuffs)

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has removed temporary brucellosis testing requirements for certain cattle and bison from British Columbia, according to a June 17 statement from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

Sexually intact cattle and bison that have resided in B.C. since March 25, 2010, are no longer required to test negative for brucellosis prior to export to the U.S.

The restrictions were put in place after three beef cows originating from two farms in British Columbia, a western province in Canada, were suspected of having brucellosis, based on tests done by the USDA during routine slaughter testing. A subsequent and thorough investigation by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) did not identify the presence of brucellosis in the animals or on the two farms. All cattle herds in Canada remain officially free of brucellosis, according to the CFIA statement.