Bovine Tuberculosis Prevalence Rates Drop In 2007

     This week I posted about the unlimited tags being handed out to the private land owners in DMU 452 here in Michigan.  I mentioned that the TB actually declined this year as compared to last year, along with a comment from deerhtn on the issue stating that the DMU has actually decreased in size also.  Today I found the actual numbers from the DNR on the TB testing in DMU 452 and they are as follows:

 Disease surveillance and monitoring efforts by the Department of Natural Resources during the 2007 white-tailed deer hunting season showed that the prevalence rate for bovine tuberculosis (TB) dropped to 1.4 percent in Deer Management Unit 452. DMU 452 is the core area of the TB outbreak in northeastern Lower Michigan that includes parts of Alcona, Alpena, Montmorency and Oscoda counties. The prevalence rate during the 2006 season had spiked to 2.3 percent, after seeing a decline to 1.2 percent in 2005.
In 2007, the DNR tested 8,305 deer statewide for bovine TB and 27 deer were positive. In 2006, 7,902 deer were tested and 41 were positive. The DNR also tested 192 elk for bovine TB, and none were found to have the disease. In 2006, 161 elk were tested, and one was TB-positive.

     With that being said, why are they wanting to decrease the deer herd by 50%?  We saw a one year spike in TB cases two years ago, a one year spike followed with a significant decrease from a smaller area,  shouldn’t be an alarm to slaughter the deer herd.  The efforts to fight this disease have been working.  What I would like to know is why are the deer being targeted for the BOVINE TB, this came from cows?  Why don’t the farmers have to take more precaution to fight this disease, that is where the pressure is coming from.  It would be nice if the government would step in and provide some funds to help farmers high fence their pastures or feeding areas to keep deer away from the cattle.  The government subsidizes farmers to NOT plant crops, lets get them some help at protecting their animals as well.  I do understand that this is their livelyhood, but the hunters and deer herds of Michigan are also feeling the effects of the disease.  I do feel the DNR needs to be more diligent at stopping the baiting of deer in this area.  We all know that this helps to promote the spread of TB, so lets concentrate on the protection of cattle and the spread in the deer herd,  which are fences and baiting, just my two cents!