Tuberculosis Testing of Livestock Other than Cattle and Bison

We are adopting as a final rule, with one change, an interim rule that amended the tuberculosis regulations to include species of livestock other than cattle and bison in the requirement for two annual herd tests for newly assembled herds on premises where a tuberculous herd has been depopulated. The interim rule was necessary because such livestock could become infected with tuberculosis and, without testing, could spread tuberculosis to the cattle or bison in the herd before the disease was detected in the herd. The testing of species of livestock other than cattle and bison in newly assembled herds on premises where a tuberculous herd has been depopulated will help ensure continued progress toward eradicating tuberculosis in the U.S. livestock population.