A field study is underway in Alpena County that could potentially impact the Upper Peninsula’s deer herd.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources effort will evaluate the delivery of an oral bovine tuberculosis vaccine for wild deer, according to a DNR press release.

Bovine tuberculosis is an infectious, zoonotic disease affecting both humans and animals. The disease is slow-growing and is primarily spread through respiratory secretions when infected animals expose uninfected animals by nose-to-nose contact or contaminate shared feed and water.

In fact, the DNR is collaborating with Michigan State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service-Wildlife Services to explore the development of a new, future tool to manage bovine tuberculosis, which could help to further protect wildlife, livestock and the public from this disease.

In Michigan’s bovine tuberculosis area (which includes Alcona, Alpena, Montmorency, Oscoda and Presque Isle counties), the disease is established in the deer population and it can be transmitted between deer and cattle. The Upper Peninsula is not included, which is, of course, good news.

Although the incidence of bovine tuberculosis isn’t increasing, it’s not going down, either, prompting, in part, this latest effort.

Technicians are placing vaccine delivery units (medicine dressed up as something tasty that deer would like) at specific locations in Alpena County, then checking them regularly.

Deer will later be harvested from these areas and analyzed to determine the practicality and viability of the process.

This is an important study that U.P. residents should pay attention to.

Want more information? Visit Michigan.gov/BovineTB.