Hunters warned to lookout for bovine tuberculosis in deer

Authorities are warning hunters to be on the lookout for bovine tuberculosis in deer.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources called it an ’emerging disease,’ which has recently affected a large beef herd in Alcona County, Michigan.

It’s the 73rd cattle herd to be identified with bovine TB in the state since 1998.

Bovine TB is a bacterial disease that also has infected free-ranging whitetail deer in parts of the northeastern Lower Peninsula.

Cattle in Alcona, Alpena, Montmorency and Oscoda counties must be tested before they are moved off the farm, which can help prevent the illness from spreading.

Assistant State Veterinarian Nancy Barr says farmers in that area should do all they can to prevent deer from having contact with cattle feeding and watering areas.

Hunters are urged to get their deer tested, even if it looks healthy. When field dressing a deer, here are a few warning signs of bovine TB to look out for:

Affected animals may have yellow to tan, pea-sized nodules in the chest cavity or lungs. Lymph nodes of the head and neck can be swollen and necrotic. Lymph nodes in the animal’s head usually show infection first. As the disease progresses, lesions may begin to develop on the surface of the lungs and chest cavity. In severely infected deer, lesions can sometimes be found throughout the animal’s entire body.