BISMARCK, N.D. – At the recent State Board of Animal Health (BOAH) meeting, the board removed the requirement for cows and heifers 12 months of age or older to be Official Calfhood Vaccinates (OCV) for Brucellosis if imported from Montana.
Montana holds a Brucellosis Class Free Status, meaning the state is considered free of the disease. In southwest Montana, Yellowstone National Park has wild bison and elk that are infected but the Montana Department of Livestock in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture maintains a Designated Surveillance Area (DSA) around the park and regularly monitors movement in and around it.
“Montana has a robust program in place to detect the disease and cattle grazed in the DSA are already required to be vaccinated and tested annually under existing Montana rules,” State Veterinarian Dr. Ethan Andress said. “The board’s decision to recognize Montana’s successful Brucellosis Management Plan removes a burden from market veterinarians and removes some hurdles for our North Dakota producers who are looking to feed Montana cattle.”
“The North Dakota Department of Agriculture’s Animal Health Division and BOAH continuously monitor animal health risks here and in neighboring states,” Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring said. “Regulations are updated as needed.”