> SOUTHERN INDIANA — A Southeast Indiana farm has reported the state’s first case of bovine tuberculosis in more than 30 years, according to an Indiana State Board of Animal Health press release. The disease was found in a cow that had undergone a routine test during slaughter at a meat processing facility in Michigan. Denise Derrer, State Board of Animal Health public information director, would not release the name of the farm or which county the infected animal came from until an investigation has been completed. she said the cattle herd will be tested — including animals that have been sold to other farms and products received by the farm. “[We will] quarantine any suspect animal from that farm until the testing is complete,” she said. According to the board, bovine tuberculosis is a chronic bacterial disease that affects primarily cattle, but can be transmitted to any warm-blooded animal. The disease is difficult to diagnose in the early stages, but later symptoms may include emaciation, lethargy, weakness, anorexia, low-grade fever and pneumonia with a chronic, moist cough. Lymph node enlargement may also be present. Cattle owners who notice these signs in their livestock should contact their private veterinarian. “The risk to humans is if someone consumes raw milk,” Derrer said. “This wasn’t a dairy [cow] that we found it on.” she added the animal that was diseased was not processed for human consumption. in addition to unpasteurized milk, Derrer warned that any cheese, butter or other product containing unpasteurized milk could put someone at risk of contracting the disease. The health board also is coordinating efforts with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to determine if the disease is present in free-ranging deer in the area, according to the release. The last time a case of bovine tuberculosis was confirmed in Indiana was in the 1970s and the state has had a bovine tuberculosis-free status since 1984 with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, according to the release. • For more information about bovine tuberculosis and the investigation visit the State Board of Animal Health website at boah.in.gov