Bovine tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious disease of both animals and humans caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis). Before eradication measures were adopted, bovine TB was 1 of the major diseases of man and domestic animals.
In Canada, bovine TB is a reportable disease under the Health of Animals Act, and all cases must be reported to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).
Fact sheets
- Bovine tuberculosis – Fact sheet
- National Bovine Tuberculosis Eradication Program
- Bovine tuberculosis and wildlife – Fact sheet
- Surveillance in the Riding Mountain eradication area
Infected herds and response
Herds infected with bovine tuberculosis in Canada (2011 to present)
What you might expect during a bovine tuberculosis investigation
When there is reason to suspect that a herd may be infected with bovine TB, the CFIA takes actions to investigate and, when present, respond to eradicate the disease. While all investigation and response situations are different, the steps involved in a bovine TB investigation/response have included the following:
- What to expect if your farm is part of an investigation for bovine tuberculosis
- What to expect if your animals are infected with bovine tuberculosis
- Compensation – What to expect when an animal is ordered destroyed
Additional information
- Infographic: Beef production cycle
- Livestock identification and traceability
- Terrestrial Animal Health Code (World Organisation for Animal Health)
- Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex – Pathogen safety data sheet
- Human health information
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) – Bovine tuberculosis disease information
- Video series: Behind the scenes during the 2016 bovine tuberculosis (TB) outbreak investigation