Johne's Disease Prevention Initiative A Welcome Development

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

Saskatchewan dairy producers are eligible for $400 in funding assistance as part of a Johne’s Disease prevention initiative, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food Surveillance Veterinarian Dr. LeeAnn Forsythe. The initiative is being supported by CanWest DHI, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) through the Agricultural Adaptation Council's CanAdvance Program, provincial agriculture ministeries and dairy farmer organizations from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta, the Western College of Veterinary Medicine and the Westgen Endowment Fund.

Johne’s Disease (JD) is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis, a distant relative of the bacteria that causes tuberculosis. The disease is a contagious, chronic, progressive bacterial infection that causes thickening of the gastrointestinal tract, thus restricting absorption of nutrients. The clinical signs of an animal infected with JD are chronic diarrhea and weight loss. The average incubation period is five years, but can range from two to 10 years. The main tests for JD have been fecal culture and a blood test for antibodies.

On Ontario dairy farms, research suggests that 15 to 30 per cent of herds contain animals infected with JD. A serological survey of dairy farms in Saskatchewan in 2001 found that 43 per cent of herds had at least one animal infected with JD, and 24 per cent had two or more.

In May 2005, the Milk ELISA test for JD became available for use by Ontario dairy producers through CanWest DHI. This test was validated by Dr. Steve Hendrick, who was at the Ontario Veterinary College at the time, but who is now located at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan. This test allows milk to be tested for JD during the normal collection of milk samples, making it very convenient for evaluating the presence of JD in a herd.

CanWest DHI is located in Ontario, and they collect and test milk samples for dairy farmers participating in the Dairy Herd Improvement (DHI) program. CanWest DHI has received funding from the Agricultural Adaptation Council's CanAdvance program to train veterinarians in Western Canada.

In Saskatchewan, the veterinarians are trained by Dr. Hendrick to conduct on-farm JD risk assessment tests and to counsel producers on the best management practices to reduce the risk of JD. Calves are most susceptible to infection, so the risk assessment emphasizes keeping the calving area free of manure.

In Saskatchewan, there is funding in place to train up to 18 veterinarians and to complete risk assessments on up to 40 dairy farms.

CanWest DHI charges DHI-participating producers $9 per Milk ELISA test, plus a $50 handling fee, and non-participating producers $10 per test, plus a $75 handling fee. Producers will receive a $400 credit against their DHI account when the DHI veterinarian submits a herd report to the provincial DHI co-ordinator.

For more information, contact:

Dr. LeeAnn Forsythe
Surveillance Veterinarian
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
(306) 787-6069