New Mexico has lost its status as a bovine tuberculosis-free state, a decision state officials say is excessive and could cost ranching and dairy operations unnecessary tests.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, in a notice published in Thursday's Federal Register, said that because two infected herds had been found in New Mexico's accredited free-zone since May 2007, it no longer met federal requirements and the state had to be downgraded.

"This action is necessary to reduce the likelihood of the spread of bovine tuberculosis within the United States," the notice said.

Officials had expected the decision, which requires that certain cattle be tested before being moved from New Mexico.

Bovine TB was discovered in 2003 in cattle in Curry and Roosevelt counties, but at that time, federal authorities required that only cattle from parts of those counties be tested before being shipped out of state. Then this spring, a cow in a Curry County feedlot was found to be infected with bovine TB, and the USDA began considering requiring more widespread testing.

Gov. Bill Richardson on Thursday called on the USDA to reconsider the state's new "modified accredited advanced" status as soon as possible.

The New Mexico Livestock Board asked the USDA just days ago to authorize a modified accredited advanced zone in Curry and Roosevelt counties, releasing the rest of the state back to bovine TB-free status, board executive director Myles Culbertson said Thursday.

"That would concentrate the modified accredited advanced status on those two counties, which by our own estimation here at the Livestock Board, that is the area of risk for tuberculosis," he said. The designation is the next level below TB-free.

The board hopes a decision on the amended status takes only a couple of months, which would be "a very, very fast, sort of an unprecedented fast, response for an endeavor like that," Culbertson said.

Fall is the most common time of year to move cattle in New Mexico, he said.

Caren Cowan, executive director of the New Mexico Cattlegrowers Association, said cattlemen reacted with outrage to "the draconian measures that will severely harm the economy of New Mexico, and particularly rural economies."

"Folks are just very, very upset. I represent the beef side of the New Mexico production and we've got members in northern New Mexico, in western New Mexico, in southern New Mexico, that are literally hundreds of miles from where the disease was diagnosed," she said.

She said producers already are struggling with higher feed and fuel costs.

"And now the government's throwing an additional expensive burden on top. I've had guys tell me they're going to have to reduce the size of their herd," she said.

Bovine TB is considered untreatable, so both infected and non-infected cattle in a herd must be killed.

The highly contagious pulmonary disease causes severe coughing, fatigue, emaciation and debilitation. The disease, which can be fatal, is commonly spread when an infected cow coughs or snorts and other cattle inhale airborne particles. It can be passed from cattle to humans, but a state veterinarian said earlier this year that possibility is "a minimal public health issue."

The livestock industry is New Mexico's single most important agricultural commodity with total annual sales of dairy and beef cattle totaling almost $2 billion. New Mexico has more than 1.5 million cattle and calves, including 340,000 dairy cows.

The modified accredited advanced designation means breeding cattle 6 months old or older that are leaving the state have to test negative for bovine TB before they can be shipped outside New Mexico's borders, Culbertson said.

Cattle meant to be slaughtered for food are not subject to testing, Culbertson said. That means animals going to feedlots or pastures outside the state and destined for the food chain won't have to be tested, he said.

"We're fortunate the USDA has not included in that test requirement cattle that are in the food chain," Culbertson said. "... The rule could have gone either way."

However, the Livestock Board cautioned cattle producers to check with the