Charlevoix County dairy cattle found to be infected with bovine tuberculosis
Cases of bovine tuberculosis were recently confirmed in Northern Lower Michigan, with the infected animals detected within a dairy herd in Charlevoix County.
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development issued that report on Friday, explaining that the infected dairy herd's location is near a four-county region where bovine tuberculosis is known to be among the wild, white-tailed deer population.
The bacterial disease can be transmitted between deer and cattle; and in some cases, it can infect humans.
The presence of bovine tuberculosis in the Charlevoix County cow was detected at a processing plant, state officials said. All commercially sold meat intended for human consumption must be inspected under USDA Food and Inspection Service requirements. State officials said the infected animal in this case was traced back to its herd of origin and additional bovine tuberculosis cases were found among the herd.
The investigation is continuing to determine whether any other cases can be traced to this infection.
"This latest detection of bovine TB highlights two important realities: how challenging the disease is to address; and why it is so crucial to use all of our tools for detection to swiftly identify cases and take actions to limit disease spread," said State Veterinarian Nora Wineland, DVM, MS, DACVPM.
"While finding a newly affected herd is never ideal, this case demonstrates our systems for detection and traceability are working, allowing us to quickly implement measures to protect animal health and public health in Michigan."
There were two such investigations during 2025, after there had not been confirmed cases of bovine tuberculosis since 2022. One was reported in January 2025 from a beef herd in Alcona County; and another was reported in November 20205 from Presque Isle County.
