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News Release 8-8-2001 |
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JOHNE’S DISEASE MAY BE NEXT BLACK CLOUD FOR BEEF/DAIRY FARMERS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CHARLESTON, WV — A long-ignored cattle disease may be the next black cloud on the horizon for beef and dairy farmers across the country, according to Dr. Lewis Thomas, State Veterinarian and Director of the West Virginia Department of Agriculture’s (WVDA) Animal Health Division. Johne’s (pronounced “yo-nees”) Disease is caused by Mycobacterium paratuberculosis, an organism in the same genus as the bacteria that causes tuberculosis in humans. However, the two bacteria produce very different diseases. The disease causes the intestinal walls of infected animals to thicken, allowing little transfer of nutrients. The worst-case scenario is death by starvation, even though the animal has a full stomach. “Johne’s Disease is an embezzler, production of milk or beef is curtailed gradually and continuously,” said Dr. Thomas. “Nationwide, this disease costs farmers millions of dollars through lost production, wasted feed and animal depreciation.” Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass said, “The Foot and Mouth disaster in England clearly demonstrated that healthy, disease-free herds are an increasingly valuable commodity. Our cattle producers should seriously consider initiating a Johne’s eradication plan to ensure that their herds maintain the highest possible value, rather than being relegated to a high-risk, low-value category.” Experts estimate that 22 percent of dairies in the U.S. are infected with the disease, and that 40 percent of the animals in infected dairy herds carry the bacterium. Only eight percent of beef herds are infected, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, although that figure could increase. One problem is the subtlety of the infection. The disease can be transmitted in the womb, and can be found in colostrum, milk and feces, and many infected animals may leave the herd before the infection becomes evident. Symptoms may include a poor coat and lessened production, followed by diarrhea, weakness, emaciation and death. While there is no cure for Johne’s Disease, there are methods to limit its spread. “The preventive process is an exercise in biosecurity,” said Dr. Thomas. “The better it is practiced, the better the disease will be controlled and possibly eliminated.” The first step is to test the herd. Although tests for the disease are not 100 percent accurate, they are reliable enough to identify a large percentage of infected animals. Dr. Thomas recommends a blood test, followed by fecal tests of suspicious animals. Positive ELISA tests may be due to exposure to the disease, and a negative fecal test may mean the animal simply was not shedding at the time, he noted. Animals testing positive should be segregated from the rest of the herd, and should not be allowed to nurse calves. Calves should be kept away from the herd and cared for by a person who does not come in contact with the adult cattle. Calves from infected animals should not be kept as herd replacements. These actions minimize the chance of passing the disease to the next generation. Infected dairy cows should be milked at the end of the line, and farmers should take special care to ensure that any herd replacements are tested and Johne’s-free. Beef producers should also test and consider culling infected animals. They should ensure that the herd has a clean water supply, feeding platforms are free of manure and the herd grazes in clean pastures far from barns. According to Dr. Thomas, vaccination against the disease has not proven to be highly successful. Vaccinated animals can develop inflammations several inches in diameter at the vaccination site, and vaccinated animals will likely test positive for tuberculosis. For more information about Johne’s Disease, contact WVDA’s Animal Health Division at 304/558-2214.
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©2001, 2002 West Virginia Department of Agriculture, All Rights Reserved |
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