Expansion increases the risk of Johne's disease

摘要

Dairy producers undergoing rapid expansion are running the risk of introducing Johne's disease into their herds, warned vet Dick Sibley from West Ridge Vet Practice. Speaking at the National Herds-mans Conference at Harper Adams University College, MrSibley said: "More than half of all UK farmers have expanded their herds by buying in animals, which has resulted in Johne's entering their herds, and unfortunately it's five years before we find it. "And buying in slurry, for example, is a significantbiosecurity risk, as the organism can survive in the muck for five to six months." To mitigate this risk, he said producers buying in stock should always ask about the Johne's status of the herds they are buying from, and where possible avoid buying in extra slurry. "The challenge is buying in animals from safe herds, and I would urge people buying in heifers to ask about the Johne's status of those herds."