The cow was traced back from an Alberta abattoir.Ottawa—The discovery in an Alberta abattoir of a beef cow infected with bovine TB (bTB) triggered a major investigation by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency that traced the animal back to a B.C. farm.Jaspinder Komal, Canada's Chief Veterinary Officer, outlined the investigation to the Commons agriculture committee, which sought more information on the case in light of a 2016 discovery of the disease in Alberta.In that case more than 11,000 cattle were put down even though in the end only six had bTB. Komal would not speculate in the mid December hearing on whether the B.C. incident would have a similar outcome because the investigation is far from complete.The investigation began Oct. 26 when the infected cow was discovered at a federally registered slaughter plant. “The animal did not enter the food chain, thereby demonstrating the effectiveness of the surveillance system in mitigating risks to the food supply,” he said.ACFIA lab confirmed the bTB diagnosis in early November and the animal was traced to a farm in the B.C. southern interior. An emergency operations centre was established in Burnaby to co-ordinate federal and provincial response activities.Then came the tough part of informing the producer and outlining what assistance was available as CFIA tested the adult cattle on the farm where the infected animal originated and all neighboring cattle herds.As well, all movements of cattle from the infected farm during the last five years was made to determine the location and status of the animals, he said.At the same time, farms from which cattle were added to the herd with the infected animal were tested, he said. “Our Canadian livestock traceability program assists us in performing trace-outs and trace-ins. Because the current investigation is in the early stages, the exact number of herds involved and the time to complete the investigation are not yet known. As of now, there's only one confirmed case of bovine TB.“CFIA recognizes the challenges, both emotional and economic, facing the producers who have had cattle and calves quarantined due to the CFIA's investigation,” he said. To help with the emotional aspects, and recognizing that uncertainty generates a lot of stress, “CFIA employees make sure that relevant and complete information is provided as soon as possible. We also provide information on support options available to the producers.”Producers are eligible for compensation for any animals ordered destroyed by the CFIA as part of this investigation. Financial support is also available through the AgriInvest and AgriStability programs and the advance payments program.“While Canada is considered to be officially free of bovine TB, isolated cases may occur,” he said. “This finding does not affect Canada's current animal health status. All provinces are considered to be bovine TB-free, as per the criteria established in the health of animals regulations.“The goal of the national bovine TB eradication program is the early detection and complete eradication of the disease from livestock in Canada,” he said. Achieving eradication will require ongoing collaboration and vigilance to prevent the re-emergence of bTB in domestic livestock populations. This will maintain Canada's reputation as a supplier of safe and high-quality livestock and livestock products.“We are hopeful that there will not be negative impact on market access,” he said.The disease is virtually eliminated in Canada except for the occurrence of rare cases in domestic animals. Exposure can occur only through the passage of fluids from an animal through an open skin sore, extended close contact with an animal with active respiratory TB or drinking unpasteurized milk from an infected cow.“The risk to the general population in Canada is considered to be very low because we mandate pasteurization of milk and we have an effective surveillance program that includes inspection of animals in slaughter facilities,” he said.Alex Binkley is a freelance journalist and writes for domestic and international publications about agriculture, food and transportation issues. He's also the author of two science fiction novels with more in the works.