How is the dairy industry managing Johnes disease?
Bovine Johne’s disease has been recognised as a herd health and herd production issue for beef and dairy cattle for some time. State Departments of Agriculture in the have in the past adopted different approaches to management of the disease. In 2003, under the auspices of Animal Health Australia, the cattle industries and governments agreed to a national, less regulated, approach to Johne’s disease in cattle in Australia. The dairy industry is part of this national program that aims to: • Reduce the contamination of farms and farm products by Mycobacterium paratuberculosis (the organism that causes Johne’s disease) • Protect the status of non-infected herds and regions • Reduce the social, economic and trade impact of Johne’s disease at herd, regional and national levels. Animal Health Australia (external link) coordinates the national bovine Johne’s disease program. A number of research priorities for beef and dairy have been identified, together with the need for a national communic
