Dairy Initiatives

Dairy

Department of Animal Science

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DI Update

New Johne's Disease Cattle Study

SCOTT J. WELLS
Department of Clinical and Population Sciences
University of Minnesota

The Minnesota Board of Animal Health has received funding from the Minnesota Legislature to:

1. increase awareness of Johne's disease among Minnesota cattle producers
2. identify infected cattle herds and help with herd-level control programs
3. identify cattle herds with low risk of Johne's disease infection to serve as sources of replacement stock for other producers.

To meet these objectives and boost its existing educational and testing program, faculty at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, in collaboration with the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, designed an education and research project that consists of an educational plan, an evaluation of herd-level testing, and an evaluation of control and prevention. Initial findings from this project should be available by summer 2001.

To launch this study, five focus group meetings were held throughout the state last winter. The meetings gathered feedback from nearly 60 veterinarians on the status of Johne's disease in Minnesota and facilitated discussion about what additional information is needed to better deal with the disease.

Work dealing with Johne's disease in cattle currently in progress at the University of Minnesota (partly in response to the focus group input) includes:

• Six demonstration dairy herds that have tested positive for Johne's disease and their veterinarians have been recruited from Gibbon, Goodhue, Kenyon, Litchfield, Spring Valley, and Underwood. Information learned from controlling the disease in these herds will serve as a road map for veterinarians on how to deal with infected herds using test information and management changes.
  
  
• Information sheets are being assembled on topics including using and interpreting Johne's disease tests, controlling Johne's disease, economic impact of Johne's disease, disinfection and environmental survival, and maternity and calf management.
  
  
• A study is underway to see if on-farm pasteurization of colostrum and waste milk can prevent transmission of several diseases, including Johne's disease.
  
  
• A study is underway to investigate methods of detecting Johne's disease in herds.
  
  
• Research articles and Web sites are being assembled as sources of information on Johne's disease and the studies noted above.

Many thanks to the veterinarians and producers who have shared their ideas and/or generously agreed to share information gained from their practices and herds in this cooperative effort.

D A I R Y    I n i t i a t i v e s    N E W S L E T T E R
Volume 10    Issue 1    Spring 2001