It was shocking to hear Idaho State Veterinarian Dr. Scott Leibsle announce, “The USDA is phasing out the brucellosis eradication program and soon it will no longer be required to bangs vaccinate female cattle.”  While it was more than a year ago that I heard this news, it is still surprising to think of repealing a program that has had such great success in eliminating a disease that can be so costly to cattle producers.

Or at least it was surprising until I did a little research.  

The United States began its national brucellosis eradication program in 1934 as a part of an economic recovery effort during the Great Depression.  Brucellosis was found to cause abortion in cattle that had been infected with the disease after coming in contact with infected wildlife.  More specifically, cattle were becoming infected with the disease after coming in contact with the aborted fetuses, placental membranes or fluids, and other discharges present after an infected animal had aborted or calved.  The disease was, and still is, costly for producers to contend with and something needed to be done to help prevent further loss.  

Years of research and development eventually led to the current eradication program that dates back to 1954.  At that time, 124,000 infected herds crossed the nation.  That number was reduced to 700 herds in the mid 1990s and is now in single digit numbers and found only in the proximity of the Greater Yellowstone Area where infected wildlife- bison and elk- live.

To reduce the number of infected herds and move towards eradication of the disease, the program has had a multi-faceted approach.  In the early stages of the program, cattle, bison and elk were routinely tested and monitored to locate any infected herds and follow their
migration patterns.

Even more surveillance is being done today with regular testing of cattle at auctions and slaughter facilities, as well as milk from dairy herds.  Any positive testing will begin a cascade of procedures, including the slaughter of the infected animal, quarantine of the herd, and mandatory testing for the entire herd for three consecutive years of negative test results. 

In addition to the monitoring, heifer calves are required to receive a bangs vaccination performed by a certified vet before entering a productive cattle herd.  The vaccination itself does not prevent the infection of brucellosis but reduces the spread of the disease by preventing abortions.  

With the number of infected herds across the United States reduced to near zero, the USDA has begun to phase out the bangs vaccination portion.  In short, cattle producers will no longer be required to bangs vaccinate their cattle.  Instead of focusing their funding on vaccinations, they are now turning greater focus on surveilling and researching the
brucellosis spread.

For many cattle producers, this news comes as relief to their pocket book as they will no longer have to pay for a vaccination that is unnecessary when their herd doesn’t come into contact with other infected animals.  Since the vaccination doesn’t prevent or cure the disease, it can seem as a useless and
dispensable protocol.  

But others, especially here in Idaho, are afraid that pulling back the vaccination requirements will bring an uptick in the spread of brucellosis.

The greatest challenge in the fight against brucellosis is the unknown factors surrounding elk herds.  Without ever really knowing how many animals are infected and exactly how far they roam, it seems nearly impossible to really say whether or not a herd could come in contact with infected wildlife.  

The number of elk have soared to a near all time high in Idaho, more than 120,000 head.  At the same time, predators such as bears and wolves are changing the habits of these wildlife by pushing the elk out of the mountains into safer havens such as hay meadows and cattle feedgrounds.

In our own experience, more elk have been seen on our very feeding and calving grounds in the fall and winter months than ever before.  From just a few head to a herd of hundreds, we can see that they are eating our feed, ruining fences, and destroying crops.  And then we have to wonder what other sort of destruction they are wreaking that we can’t even see, like spreading brucellosis.

Just because the state will soon no longer require bangs vaccination, doesn’t mean that producers have to stop including it in their health program.  Farmers and ranchers concerned with the spread of the disease in their herd can still use the vaccine as a preventative measure and insurance against a devastating infection.  

The ground gained against brucellosis has been truly significant in the last 70 years, there is no question.  With that perspective, it isn’t so surprising to hear the repeal and shift of the brucellosis eradication program.  But many wonder, including myself, if the risk of greater infection is worth the money saved by no longer mandating vaccinations with the purpose of reducing the spread of disease.  Only time will tell if we have truly gotten the upper hand of brucellosis or if we are about to allow a resurgence to begin.