 |
 |
|
|
Prevention pays! Most beef herds in the U.S. are NOT infected with M. paratuberculosis. Read here how to keep herds not infected. Prevention pays! M. paratuberculosis is always introduced into herds by purchase of carrier animals. The surest way to remain uninfected is by maintaining a closed herd. Truly closed herds must not have any biological contact with other herds. This includes never bringing leased animals onto the property, not using embryo transfer recipients, and not accepting colostrum or milk from other farms. |
 |
|
|
For herds that are not closed, pre-purchase testing of the seller's herd should
be a condition of sale, to limit the risk of buying infected cattle. Ideally,
purchased (or leased) cattle would originate from certified-free herds. Until
such programs are more widely used, I recommend the following simple cost-effective
pre-purchase biosecurity program: require ELISA testing of 40 cows 4 years
old from the sellers herd. If all 40 tests are negative, the probability the
herd is free of paratuberculosis is >95% (estimations based on ELISA
accuracy and estimated prevalence
of paratuberculosis among and within infected beef herds). The cost of testing,
roughly $10.00 / head in most states, even if paid by the buyer, is far far less
than the cost of dealing with the infection after it gets established in a herd.
These same principles should apply to bulls, ET recipients, and cows that are
the source of colostrum or milk for orphan calves. Bovine practitioners have an
opportunity and a professional responsibility, to help herd owners limit their
risk of bringing this disease into herds. If you think about it, the herds with
the strongest incentive to test should be the non-infected herds. Knowing this
will enhance vigilance against introduction of the infection and down the road,
their cattle may bring a premium at sales. 
More information... Read the section of this site on prevention of Johne's disease in dairy cattle.
|
||
   |
||||||
 |
||||||
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
 |