Today, the Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA) and Montana Public Lands Council (MPLC) submitted comments to USDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in support of the removal of Brucellosis from their respective select agents and toxins lists.
In the comments, MSGA and MPLC stated support of the proposed removal of Brucella abortus as a select agent and have confidence that it no longer needs to be regulated under APHIS, USDA or HHS/CDC list.
Our organizations and our members have significant and long-standing interest in the management of Brucella abortus, due mainly to the high rate of exposure in wildlife in and around Yellowstone National Park (YNP).
This disease is highly regulated in domestic cattle and bison by USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and has broad implications for the marketing of cattle and genetics from Montana. The regulation of B. abortus by USDA APHIS and HHS/CDC has led to the implementation of strict testing and management protocols for cattle in an area surrounding YNP known as the Designated Surveillance Area (DSA).
MSGA and MPLC agree that by removing B. abortus from select agent regulations, it will allow for additional research into vaccines for brucellosis. The current regulations and restrictions on B. abortus have nearly eliminated the efforts to further vaccine research and other aspects of B. abortus control. Our organizations see the removal of B. abortus as an essential step in the development of new or enhanced vaccines to control this disease in cattle and wildlife in the GYA.
PRESS CONTACT:
Keni Reese
Director of Marketing & Communications, MSGA
406-442-3420
[email protected]
To view more MSGA news, visit https://mtbeef.org/news/
