Status of bovine tuberculosis in North America

The eradication of bovine tuberculosis from North America is in the advanced stages as Canada and the United States struggle to remove the last vestiges of the disease from the domestic livestock population. Canada realistically anticipates total eradication from the national cattle herd within the next few years. The United States must yet effectively deal with the increased tuberculosis exposure potential from imported steers and from bovine tuberculosis newly discovered in its captive cervid industry. This paper reviews the history and development of tuberculosis eradication programs in North America. The basic evolution is described from area testing to slaughter surveillance with follow-up epidemiological investigations as the program foundation. The current status of both countries is described and recognized deterrents to final eradication are discussed.