NEWS RELEASE
March 12, 1998

Agriculture and Natural Resources Commissions Act to Eradicate Bovine Tuberculosis

The Michigan Natural Resources Commission and the Michigan Agriculture Commission today took bold steps to eradicate bovine tuberculosis from Michigan's wild deer herd. A mandatory feeding ban was approved by the Agriculture Commission and baiting restrictions were approved by the Natural Resources Commission to assist in efforts to eradicate the disease.

Governor Engler called for an eradication strategy in January because of the potential risk to public health, USDA tuberculosis-free accreditation for Michigan cattle, wildlife health, wildlife related recreation and tourism.

"Today's action is a significant step forward in our efforts to eliminate this disease," said Bovine Tuberculosis Eradication Coordinator Bob Bender. "There are no easy answers or solutions to this problem, but it's clear that if we do nothing the entire state will suffer."

In February, the Department of Agriculture presented the Agriculture Commission with a proposed mandatory feeding ban on deer and elk and the Department of Natural Resources presented the Natural Resources Commission with a wildlife conservation order on baiting restrictions in an area of northern Michigan.

The proposed feeding ban and baiting restrictions had been open for public comment and input for 30 days. Commissioners listened to comments and concerns from citizens at public meetings held in the affected area and from individual testimony at the joint commission meeting. Commissioners also reviewed written comments that had been submitted on the issue.

The Agriculture Commission approved a feeding ban to eliminate supplemental feeding of deer and elk to protect livestock health. The ban is necessary to minimize the concentration of animals and crowding of deer to avoid the possible transmission of bovine tuberculosis.

"Science tells us that elimination of year round feeding is one of the most effective means to eradicate bovine tuberculosis from our wild free-ranging deer herd," said Chair of the Michigan Agriculture Commission Doug Darling. "Michigan agriculture has indicated a willingness to be a part of solving this problem."

The Natural Resources Commission approved a wildlife conservation order that defines and implements baiting restrictions in the identified area. Baiting will be limited to five gallons at any time at any hunting location, but the choice of substance used will be up to the individual hunter. Baiting

will be allowed to begin on September 1, 1998 and will continue through the end of the last day of deer season in the area. Hunters will be allowed to use an electrical or mechanical feeder to place bait as long as it results in no more than five gallons of bait on the ground at any time. This order was modified from its original draft based on public input.

"Based on public comment, we've modified the baiting restrictions to incorporate suggestions from the public while effectively addressing this serious disease issue," said Chair of the Michigan Natural Resources Commission Keith Charters. "The use of bait in hunting in northeast Michigan is a long tradition and an important part of assuring we have a successful harvest of deer from the area."

Both the feeding ban and the baiting restrictions will be in effect for all premises and lands located in an area bordered by Interstate Highway 75 to the west, M-55 to the south, Lake Huron to the east and the Straits of Mackinac to the north. The area was expanded from the original five county area to effectively eradicate the disease. The mandatory feeding ban and baiting ban will go into effect on May 1, 1998.

Bovine tuberculosis is a disease spread primarily by close contact with infected animals. The disease is spread among animals through the respiratory route by prolonged direct nose to nose exposure. The disease has never before been determined to be self-sustaining in free-ranging wildlife in North America. Supplemental feeding brings together large numbers of deer for a prolonged period of time. Under the circumstances, inhalation of the bovine tuberculosis bacteria or consumption of feed contaminated with bovine tuberculosis by coughing and exhalation is much more likely to occur than in a free-ranging wild deer or elk population.

Supplemental winter feeding of deer has become common in northern Michigan. This has maintained deer densities in the northeastern Lower Peninsula of Michigan above the natural carrying capacity for many years. Concentrations of deer at feeding sites can result in even higher densities, resulting in several hundred deer at some feeding sites. While overall densities are moderately high in Michigan, it is the concentration of deer caused by supplemental feeding that plays a major role in the transmission of bovine tuberculosis between animals.

The state surveillance program for bovine tuberculosis, a cooperative effort among the Departments of Agriculture, Community Health and Natural Resources, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Michigan State University, livestock producers, hunters and private hunt club owners discovered the disease in a captive white-tailed deer herd in Presque Isle County.

The surveillance program was put in place in 1995 to determine the extent of the problem, and to make sure the disease did not spread to livestock in the area of intensive surveillance of Alcona, Alpena, Montmorency, Oscoda, and Presque Isle counties.

Over 8,200 deer from the five county area have been tested and 149 have tested positive for bovine tuberculosis. Bovine tuberculosis has also been found in three coyotes. Ongoing statewide surveys of deer from Michigan's 83 counties have not identified any other bovine tuberculosis infected deer outside the five county area. To date, 125 herds, made up of over 5,060 head of cattle, goats, pigs and llamas have been tested for bovine tuberculosis. Bovine tuberculosis has not been confirmed in any of these animals. Four of the herds of cattle are under quarantine pending resolution of further diagnostic testing. Tissue from six suspect cattle, from two herds have been sent to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory at the USDA in Ames, Iowa for definitive determination.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRESS CONTACT: Geralyn Lasher

March 12, 1998 (517) 241-2112