Effect of Culling Management Practices on the Seroprevalence of Johne’s Disease in Holstein Dairy Cattle in Central Italy

Abstract

A study was performed in Umbria, central Italy, to find out whether different culling strategies adopted by farms to control Johne’s disease (JD) infection exerted effects on the seroprevalence in dairy cattle. Fifty Fresian dairy herds in the Perugia and Assisi districts were visited and an audit of herd management was conducted. Among the 50 herds, 20 were selected for the consistency of management practices and, according to the culling strategy, two groups were created: group A (aggressive culling protocol, with average herd productive life <1100 days) and group B (lower culling rate, with productive life greater than 1500 days). The presence of antibodies to Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (Map) in the serum was determined using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. It was found that 3.3% (n = 14) of the cows of group B (n = 422, from 17 herds) were positive for Map antibodies, in comparison with 5.7% (n = 21) of the cows from group A (n = 366, from three herds). The odds ratio from multiple logistic regression (adjusted odds ratio 2.446, 95% confidence interval 0.412 to 14.525) showed that Johne’s disease prevalence in herds with a greater productive life was not higher than in herds with typical modern management characterized by more aggressive culling. This is a significant finding, indicating that aggressive culling may not be necessary. Current JD control recommendations are derived from data obtained in high-prevalence paratuberculosis areas (northern Europe, including northern Italy), while methods of information transfer to dairy farms in low-prevalence areas should be reassessed to ensure that the correct measures, including basic calving management and calf-rearing practices, are thoroughly implemented. Using the manufacturer’s suggested cut-off for a positive ELISA test and the sensitivity and specificity claimed, the overall true prevalence in Umbria dairy cattle was calculated as 7% (95% confidence interval 5.2% to 8.8%).

Delayed First Milking in Unassisted Overnight Calving Did Not Affect the Quality of Colostrum but Influenced Serum Brix Refractometry in Holstein Calves at Two Days of Life

“…Where the prevalence of good-quality colostrum is lower, improving calving supervision and ensuring timely feeding are important to reduce the risk of FPT [8]. Calving supervision remains a key element in optimal farm management: quick resolution of dystocia and timely cow-calf separation contribute to calf/dam survival, biosecurity, and the control of diseases characterized by vertical transmission, such as paratuberculosis [32][33][34]. Institutional Review Board Statement: Ethic review and approval were not applicable according to the directive 2010/63/EU: the blood samples were collected from the farm veterinarian during routine health-check procedures, the study did not involve us housing animals, and the procedures on-farm involved routine, non-invasive practices.…”

Bovine Paratuberculosis: Results of a Control Plan in 64 Dairy Farms in a 4-Year Period

“…In our case, after the assessment of the main biosecurity issues, eleven farmers did not follow the suggestions but continued to cull positive individuals, with similar results to those who decided to apply the suggestions. Nevertheless, this could be due to the low number of included farms, and the application of just a "test and cull" scheme alone, even if aggressive, is not recommended (Crociati et al, 2022). Indeed, a good control plan should not only include the removal of already-infected individuals, but also the prevention of new infections (eg.…”

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis Infected Cows Reveal Divergent Immune Response in Bovine Peripheral Blood Derived Lymphocyte Proteome

“…In addition, vaccination interferes with tests to detect Mycobacterium bovis [ 12 ]. Therefore, current management strategies to control Johne’s disease aim to limit calf exposure to MAP by avoiding contact with both, adult cattle and their feces and by using aggressive testing and eradication practices [ 13 , 14 ]. However, forced culling strategies have generally failed to reduce MAP prevalence in livestock [ 13 ].…”

“…Therefore, current management strategies to control Johne’s disease aim to limit calf exposure to MAP by avoiding contact with both, adult cattle and their feces and by using aggressive testing and eradication practices [ 13 , 14 ]. However, forced culling strategies have generally failed to reduce MAP prevalence in livestock [ 13 ]. Voluntary sanitation and management practices have been used to reduce and prevent MAP transmission to susceptible cows [ 10 ].…”