CHEYENNE- Another cow, probably from a different part of the state than Sublette County, has tested positive for brucellosis, State Veterinarian Jim Logan said Monday.

Logan told the Joint Appropriations Committee that the new case traced from slaughter "unfortunately" is not from the herd of infected cattle on a ranch near Boulder in Sublette County, where the disease popped up more than two weeks ago.

Blood tests from the new case also showed a "very high titer" reaction that is a marker for the bacterial infection. "This came up just today," Logan told the committee.

The infected animal was traced quickly because it had been sold. Various agencies are working on confirmation of the case. He said he did not know where that cow came from. "We don't know for a fact that it's even a Wyoming critter," Logan said later in the day. "It went through a Wyoming sale barn. A lot of cattle come through Wyoming to be sold ... so it could very well be from some place else."

But, he added, other states are watching Wyoming. "If we are fortunate to keep this limited to only one herd, we will not lose our brucellosis-free status," he said. Colorado has restricted importation of cattle from Sublette, Teton and northern Lincoln counties. South Dakota is waiting for completion of cultures and confirmation on the positive reactors before restricting Wyoming cattle. Logan said this is the same position taken by the State of Montana.

Logan said he will meet today with Don Jensen, the owner of the infected herd near Boulder, and tell him he has two options: Either "depopulate" the herd with a buyout at market value, or agree to an "extremely long" quarantine period with frequent tests of the herd. "Neither is a great option if you're a cattle owner," Logan said. But if Wyoming is going to retain its brucellosis-free status "this is what we have to do," he added.

If even one more animal is confirmed positive anywhere in the state, Wyoming will lose its brucellosis free status, he said. That status allows Wyoming cattle to be moved to other states without further brucellosis testing.

If that happens, livestock owners will have difficulty marketing their herds and will have to pay for more testing, Logan said. "This is a touchy issue," Logan said. "There is a lot of hostility. A lot of people are irate. I understand the implications when something threatens your livelihood."

He said the disease has public health implications. Logan said the Department of Health notified him recently of a case of human brucellosis in the state, an extremely rare event that he said has nothing to do with the infected herds in Sublette County.

Brucellosis vaccine is 60 to 70 percent effective. Abortion is the prime clinical sign of brucellosis, Logan said. The incubation period varies from two weeks to several months.

Although Jensen's herd is located adjacent to one of the state elk feeding grounds that is known to be infected with brucellosis, Logan said he is not ready to point a finger at wildlife as the source of the infection in the Yellowstone Park area.

The Jensen herd ran on public and private lands commingled with other herds of cattle, which are being tested, he said. Rep. Phil Nicholas, R-Laramie, a co-chairman of the Joint Appropriations Committee, asked if Wyoming couldn't be classified by zone so that only part of the state would lose its brucellosis-free status if it comes to that.

Logan said the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is reluctant to zone a state primarily because of the difficulty in controlling the movement of cattle within a state.

Logan said he has been telling the livestock industry in Wyoming for 10 years they would be wise to test breeding cattle in the greater Yellowstone area.

Rep. Larry Meuli, R-Cheyenne, a physician and former state health officer, asked about possible cross-contamination during vaccination from using the same syringe and needle on a herd. Logan said officials will investigate to be sure the proper protocol was followed.

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