The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) will hold two informational public meetings in January prior to conducting a bovine tuberculosis (TB) risk assessment of livestock and wildlife in portions of El Paso and Hudspeth counties.
The first meeting is set for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21, in Hudspeth County at 5:30 p.m. A second meeting will be held at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22, in El Paso. Information regarding the disease, testing and the overall risk assessment process will be discussed by TAHC officials.
Under a law passed during the 83rd Texas Legislature, the TAHC was directed to conduct a study to determine the current risk level for bovine TB in the area in an effort to reconsider the current prohibition of dairy cattle in parts of the two counties.
Testing of all cattle in the high risk area, along with a sampling of small ruminants—sheep and goats—is scheduled to begin Feb. 3, the agency said in a news release.
Livestock owners in El Paso and Hudspeth counties who have questions can contact the El Paso TB Study team at (915) 478-0815 or the TAHC Region 6 office at (512) 556-6277.
To view the existing dairy prohibition area, click here. For more information on TB, visit http://www.tahc.state.tx.us/animal_health/cattle_tb/cattle_tb.html.