Saskatchewan cow slaughtered in Alberta was infected with bovine tuberculosis

A case of bovine tuberculosis originating from a cow that came from Saskatchewan is under investigation by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

The infected cow was slaughtered at a federally registered abattoir in Alberta.

The herd the cow came from is under quarantine until more tests can be done, according to the CFIA.

Bovine tuberculosis typically does not pose a threat to public health in Canada because of its rarity in the country, the CFIA says.

Also referred to as bovine TB, the disease is a chronic contagious bacterial disease of livestock and sometimes other mammals, the federal government says on its website.

“The bacteria associated with the disease may lie dormant in an infected animal for years without causing clinical signs or progressive disease symptoms. It can reactivate during periods of stress or in older animals,” the Government of Canada says.

If a person becomes infected, they most likely contracted the disease from unpasteurized dairy products that came from infected animals.

When a person becomes infected it causes a condition similar to human tuberculosis.

According to the federal government, the risk to the general population in Canada is considered to be very low. 

-- With files from The Canadian Press.