Effect of compliance with recommended calf‐rearing practices on control of bovine Johne's disease

Abstract

Fifty-four south Gippsland dairy herds participating in the Victorian bovine Johne's disease test and control program were visited between July and November 2002 and an audit of calf rearing practices was conducted. The results of testing completed under the program were analysed for each of the herds. Twenty seven management factors were examined for a relationship with the presence of clinical cases of Johne's disease or cattle with positive ELISA test results that were born after the completion of the second whole herd test. Logistic regression was used to examine the strength of relationships between the management practices and the frequency with which new cases of Johne's disease arose. RESULTS AND CONCULSIONS: Calves were removed from their dams within 12 hours of birth in only 17 (31.5%) of the herds. However, in all but one herd the calves were removed within 24 hours of birth. In 42 herds (77.8%) calf rearing facilities were adequately separated from adult cattle and the faeces from adult cattle. In 41 herds (75.9%) calves up to the age of 12 months were grazed on paddocks that were free of manure or effluent from adult cattle. However, in only 10 (18.5%) of the herds were all three of these calf management practices applied. Feeding whole milk containing antibiotic residues, or providing water for calves from birth, were found to have statistically significant associations with an increased occurrence of cases of bovine Johne's disease in the study herds. The practice of allowing cows to calve in a paddock was found to be associated with reduced occurrence of bovine Johne's disease. These associations were still found after analysis that included herd size, the number of clinical cases that had occurred in the herds before the start of testing, the number of animals with positive ELISA tests that were detected at the first test and the number of years of participation in the test and cull program. Early separation of newborn calves from cows and grazing calves under 12 months of age in areas free of adult cattle were not found to be protective against Johne's disease.

Evaluating the effect of Focus Farms on Ontario dairy producers’ knowledge, attitudes, and behavior toward control of Johne’s disease

“…The level of adoption observed here was larger than other studies (Wraight et al, 2000;Jubb and Galvin, 2004;Ridge et al, 2005;Sorge et al, 2010b). However, it is important to note that behavior in this study was defined as the uptake or adoption of at least one on-farm management practice specifically for JD control, and as such there is no opportunity to assess the retention and sustainability of the behaviors that were reported to have changed.…”

“…Although RA-based JD control programs have been widely implemented, their efficacy is largely dependent on the veterinarian's ability to communicate with his or her clients and the producer's willingness to adopt the recommended on-farm management practices for JD control (Sorge et al, 2010b). Several studies examining the uptake of on-farm management practices to control JD have reported poor producer uptake (Wraight et al, 2000;Jubb and Galvin, 2004;Ridge et al, 2005;Sorge et al, 2010b). This is likely due to the inability of the RA, and the veterinarian administering the RA, to address the factors associated with behavioral change (Sorge et al, 2010b).…”

Risk Factors Associated with Transmission ofMycobacterium aviumsubsp.paratuberculosisto Calves within Dairy Herd: A Systematic Review

“…The characteristics of the immediate neonatal environment and the risk of MAP transmission (question 1) were addressed in 18 of 23 manuscripts (Table ). Eleven articles reported a significant association between the immediate neonatal environment and MAP infection.…”

Cost‐Effective Control Strategies for Johne's Disease in Dairy Herds

“…The number of herds enrolled in these control programs has rapidly increased since these programs were initiated (McKenna et al ). However, implementation of a control program requires additional cost and a significant effort for the dairy producer, and thus often results in a limited adoption of suggested control practices (Ridge et al ; Sorge et al ). In addition, the control costs could be much higher initially than the lost income from JD, discouraging cash‐constrained producers from adapting.…”