PINEDALE -- Wyoming Assistant State Veterinarian Jim Logan said Wednesday it appears that another 11 head of cattle from a Daniel-area purebred cattle herd have tested positive for brucellosis.

"There are additional ones that are infected," Logan reported, adding that this was not the result animal health officials were hoping for.

Logan said preliminary results received from the lab Wednesday morning indicate that purebred cattle that were tested Monday at four different sites in Sublette County showed exposure to the disease brucellosis. Only culture tests from tissue samples of slaughtered animals will be able to determine if the animals harbor the disease.

Brucellosis is a contagious bacterial disease that infects domestic animals, wildlife and humans worldwide.

Although the cattle were at different locations, and were tested separately from the commercial herd that was tested last week, they all belong to the same livestock producer and count as an individual herd for federal purposes, Logan said. If two brucellosis-infected herds are detected within a two-year period, Wyoming will loose its "brucellosis-free" market status.

Although the rancher with the infected cattle cannot be forced to slaughter his herd, federal rules call for Wyoming to lose its brucellosis-free status if the infected herd isn't "depopulated" within 60 days of official notification from federal officials. That official word hasn't yet been received, according to State Veterinarian Walt Cook.

Two cows from the commercial herd that recently went through a sale barn tested positive for exposure to the disease, which led to testing of the entire commercial herd last week. An additional 13 head tested positive in the 327-head herd. Federal and state animal health officials continued their detection efforts Monday with the rancher's herd of nearly 300 head of purebred black Angus.

State and federal animal health officials have drawn up a list of about 12 "contact" herds that will be required to be tested for the disease as well. On Wednesday, animal health officials began making contact with the owners of these herds to arrange for testing.

Logan said that many of the herds are already out on summer grazing allotments, so will have to be tested when they return to their home ranches this fall. These herds will be under a verbal "hold" order not to sell any animals from their herds until they can be tested this fall.

"The majority of those herds are turned out, so we'll be looking at fall testing," Logan said.