The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is issuing a draft policy statement through the Federal Select Agent Program on research with Brucella species in outdoor settings.
The policy will allow researchers to conduct brucellosis studies in large animals, such as elk, bison and cattle that cannot be easily housed or studied indoors to gain tools and information to eradicate the disease.
This expansion emphasizes a critical need for both improved diagnostics and vaccine development related to wildlife as endemic Brucella abortus is expanding its range in the Greater Yellowstone Area. Production losses due to brucellosis dropped from more than $400 million in 1952 to less than $1 million today.
The United States Cattlemen’s Association and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association commend APHIS for taking this step to eradicate the disease in domestic animals and wildlife.
