Bovine tuberculosis (TB) has been confirmed in South Dakota for the first time since 2021. According to State Veterinarian Dr. Beth Thompson, the infected steer was initially identified in late October by meat inspectors during routine inspection at a Wisconsin packing plant. Records linked the steer to a Hamlin County feedlot which had marketed the animal. The TB infection was confirmed by the National Veterinary Surveillance Laboratory in Ames, IA on Friday, December 6, 2024.

The State Veterinarian’s office is working closely with the feedlot owner as well as other producers who may have sold animals purchased by the feedlot, USDA officials, and area veterinarians to locate the steer’s source herd. Necessary precautions are being taken to protect the health of South Dakota’s cattle industry. Bovine TB is not currently a threat to food safety in the United States, thanks to milk pasteurization and comprehensive meat inspection programs.

Bovine tuberculosis is a chronic, slowly progressive respiratory disease of cattle. Infected animals may transmit infection to other animals when in close proximity for prolonged periods. Cattle rarely exhibit visible signs of illness. Testing of cattle herds is necessary to determine if animals are infected. The US has nearly eliminated bovine TB due to a cooperative eradication campaign and South Dakota has officially been recognized as free of the disease since 1982.

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