Brucellosis in Idaho

In October 2005, a beef cattle herd in eastern Idaho was quarantined after a cow from the herd tested positive for brucellosis. Other herd mates were also confirmed positive, one of those being a heifer that had been transported to a feedlot in another part of the state.

As a result, Idaho lost its “Class Free” brucellosis status and was downgraded to a “Class A” state by the USDA. The Idaho State Department of Agriculture spent over 900 hours, in addition to the numerous hours put in by federal personnel, locating cattle herds that could have been exposed to the disease.

Had Idaho been able to quickly contact all cattle premises in the surrounding area, the employee and funding resources required for this case would have been greatly reduced. Premises identification would have allowed animal health officials to rapidly map out a specified risk area and notify owners of the situation and the proper precautions necessary to protect their livestock.

Duck Die-Off

In December of 2006, a hunter reported several dead waterfowl around a spring near Oakley, Idaho. After all cleanup efforts were completed, the mortality count exceeded 1,500 ducks. High Pathogenic Avian Influenza was on the initial list of potential causes of the duck mortality.

As part of their disease surveillance and eradication efforts, Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) animal health officials attempted to contact all poultry and game bird owners in the area whose flocks may have been at risk. The lack of an easily accessible record of premises made it extremely difficult to contact those owners.

Had this event been caused by a disease such as Avian Influenza, a premises identification program would have allowed ISDA officials to notify at-risk poultry and game bird owners in a timely manner.

Vesicular Stomatitis Quarantine

Vesicular stomatitis (VS) is transmitted through black flies and can infect species such as cattle, horses, swine, sheep, goats, and deer.

Though VS is often sporadic, it has more recently become an epidemic in some states. In fact, more than 150 Idaho premises were quarantined due to a VS outrbreak in the 1980s.

The most recent cases of VS in Idaho date back only a couple of years to 2005. Horses from two different premises in the southeastern portion of the state were infected.

In 2005, there was no single system animal health officials could utilize to quickly notify animal owners in the proximity of where VS was detected. Premises identification would allow animal heath officials to contact owners efficiently and effectively in the case of an animal health event.

Tularemia Outbreak

The spring of 2007 has proven to be one suitable to sustain a heavy tick population. As a result, Idaho has experienced the loss of 10 lambs in Lincoln County from a disease called tularemia.

The bacterium is found mainly in rodents and rabbits and infects animals such as sheep, pigs, and calves when an infected tick feeds on the animal. Humans are also susceptible to this disease, and health officials urge people to be cautious.

In an event such as this one, it would be beneficial for animal health officials to have a system they could utilize to inform people of the various health risks and the appropriate precautions to take. Premises identification would be a tool to assist them in that effort.

“Animal disease is a serious issue facing livestock owners. By registering your farm or ranch, you are taking an important step toward disease control and prevention throughout Idaho.”

Dr. Greg Ledbetter
State Veterinarian and Dairy Farmer