Wyoming Bangs Test
Second Phase Set

PINEDALE, Wyo. —(AP)— Federal officials have tentatively scheduled for Nov. 15 a second review of a brucellosis testing program that critics say is inconvenient, the Pinedale Roundup reported.

Cattle are being tested in six counties as part of a legislative program aimed at easing concerns that infected Wyoming elk and bison might transmit the disease to domestic cattle.

Since the program began in January, none of the 24,486 cattle tested for brucellosis through June had the disease, said Kelly Hamilton of the Wyoming Livestock Board.

Brucellosis can cause livestock to abort, and, in rare cases, can cause undulant fever in people who drink unpasteurized milk from infected cows.

A surge of cattle to market this fall could hamper testing and cause the program to run out of money, said Steve Worton of the Riverton Livestock Auction.

The auction can only test 300 to 500 cattle daily, but the fall run is expected to increase to 800 to 1000 daily. Cattle are backed up at the market for three to four days in advance of sales to accommodate the testing, officials said.

"It costs us over $500 a day to test the cattle," he said.

To have market crews available to test cattle has cost the auction about $12,000 so far, he said. The Legislature allocated $150,000 for the one-year program.

"We've tested a lot of cows and haven't found brucellosis. Now let's get out of this thing," he said.

The auction will test 43 percent of eligible cattle in the six counties — Sublette, Lincoln, Fremont, Park, Teton and Hot Springs.

Nearly 16 percent of the eligible cattle have been tested. A similar percentage of each cattle herd in the area would need to be tested to assure disease-free livestock, officials said.

Between 50,000 and 70,000 cattle will be tested in Wyoming through the end of the year.

Many ranchers claim the program is unfair because other states using the same federal grazing areas are not required to test their animals for the disease.

After two states imposed sanctions against Wyoming cattle in February 1997, Wyoming officials agreed to follow the recommendations of the federal Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.