Source: Alberta Beef Producers
From February through July 2020, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and participating Canadian Animal Health Surveillance Network (CAHSN) laboratories will conduct a pilot project to improve Canada’s bovine brucellosis surveillance. Blood and tissue samples related to reproductive issues in cattle submitted to participating network laboratories during this time may be tested for brucellosis at a CFIA laboratory.
What is brucellosis?
Brucellosis is a disease caused by various species of Brucella bacteria. It is a contagious disease that can infect a variety of animal species including cattle and people. Clinical signs of brucellosis in cattle usually include late term abortion, retained placenta, reduced milk production and still-births or weak calves. Bovine brucellosis can spread from cattle to humans, most commonly through drinking infected raw milk or exposure to infected calving material (e.g. fetus, placenta).
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Note: there is no charge for brucellosis testing at the CFIA laboratory as part of this pilot project. Personal information will not accompany samples submitted from the network laboratory to CFIA. However, as noted above, if test results warrant further investigation, CFIA will obtain information from the CAHSN laboratory to follow up with the producer.
