OTTAWA, Ontario – There have been no new confirmed cases of bovine tuberculosis (TB), the Canadian Food Inspection Agency reported.

Beyond the six confirmed cases, no samples have showed lesions consistent with bovine TB. The agency cautioned that doesn’t mean an animal is bovine TB-free; however the news is encouraging.

“During the investigation for bovine tuberculosis, the CFIA traces the movement of animals that have entered or left an infected herd,” the agency explained. “As part of trace out activities, the CFIA traces animals that were moved out from the original infected herd to prevent the disease from spreading.

“The CFIA is also doing trace-in activities to try to identify how the disease was introduced into the herd. This may lead to more quarantines, but this is not a sign that the disease is spreading; this is a normal procedure.”

To date, there have been six confirmed cases of bovine TB which includes the cow infected with the disease when it was slaughtered in the United States, CFIA said. The six cases are from one infected herd involving 18 farming operations located on multiple premises.

Approximately 50 premises remain under quarantine and movement controls, the agency reported. About 26,000 animals are affected by the quarantines.