Bovine TB suspected in Wash. cow sent to slaughter

That ailment has not been seen in Washington cattle since 1988.

There is no immediate human health concern, state health officials said.

The meat was isolated after a federal food safety inspector spotted a suspicious lesion and sent a sample for testing, state Agriculture Department spokesman Hector Castro said.

The National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Iowa reported Wednesday that the sample was consistent with bovine TB. Castro said an additional test is being done to confirm the diagnosis, with results expected in six weeks. The meat was destroyed.

Milk produced by the dairy was intended for pasteurization, which kills bacteria, including bovine TB, Castro said. The dairy was not identified.

The cow was sent Jan. 8 to a Cowlitz County slaughter facility.

"Our inspectors will work with our federal, state and agricultural partners to trace this to its source and determine whether any other cows were infected," Dan Newhouse, state Agriculture Department director, said in a statement.