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Cattle Practice 19.2 November 2011a

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Cattle Practice 19.2

Cattle Practice 19.2 November 2011a

What do farmers want from their vet? McLaughlin, C., Animal Health and Welfare Adviser, NFU, Agriculture House, Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, CV8 2TZ ABSTRACT In 2007 and 2011, the Nati onal Farmers Union (NFU) undertook an informal consultati on of its members to identi fy what farmers wanted in terms of veterinary service from their private veterinary surgeon. Whilst the more traditi onal services such as 24/7 emergency cover and routi ne animal health care were sti ll required, farmers also expressed a desire for vets to provide management advice, horizon scanning, price transparency, new technology support, disease surveillance, biosecurity advice and personal involvement in both individual client’s farms and their wider farming community. There are opportuniti es for knowledgeable and forward thinking veterinary surgeons to work with their farmer clients to achieve mutually profi table businesses, but this will require atti tudinal, educati onal and clinical change from the whole veterinary profession. KEYWORDS: NFU, farmers, services, vets, customers, consultati on INTRODUCTION The Environment, Food and Rural Aff airs Committ ee fi rst expressed concerns in 2001 about the future availability of veterinary experti se needed to support the farming industry. They published a report in 2003 which also highlighted deep concerns about the role of the vet, demand for their services, and the way in which those services and experti se were organised and delivered. For several years these concerns were debated by the farming industry, veterinary bodies and Government, culminati ng in Professor Philip Lowe’s appointment in 2008 as Chair of the Vets and Veterinary Services Working Group. With a membership of over 55,000 farming members in England and Wales and an additi onal 41,000 countryside members, the NFU was identifi ed as an important parti cipant and stakeholder during these debates. This identifi cati on came with a responsibility, and the NFU has now been challenged twice to report on what farmers want from their veterinary surgeon; the fi rst ti me at Professor Lowe’s request and the second for the inaugural meeti ng of the Veterinary Development Council (VDC) in January 2011. The strength of the NFU comes from its strong interacti on and access to grass root farmers through its regional network of offi ces. This network was used during an informal consultati on to fi nd out the answer to the questi on, ‘What do farmers want from their vet?’ in 2007. Responses were revisited and challenged again in 2011 to inform the VDC. Results on both occasions were consistent with a desire to engage veterinary experti se at all stages of livestock producti on and a need to have vets involved in management decisions and doing more than the traditi onal emergency service and routi ne health care, although these were sti ll required. METHOD The NFU is divided into 7 regions which are managed by 7 regional offi ces, and supported by a network of over 300 local offi ces staff ed by NFU Group Secretaries. This pyramid structure facilitates knowledge exchange between farmer and grower members and policy staff at the regional and nati onal levels. The informal consultati ons carried out in 2007 and 2011 were not scientifi cally robust, nor were they designed to be. The 2007 consultati on was based around just one open questi on, ‘What do you want in terms of service from your veterinary surgeon?’ and gave respondents the opportunity to be as descripti ve and enthusiasti c as they wanted. Regional staff and Group Secretaries were asked to pose the questi on to as many livestock farmers as they could, and using any opportunity available to them. The same questi on was also asked of the NFU Nati onal Commodity Boards (covering livestock, dairy and poultry), made up of leading farmers from the regions. An arti cle posing the questi on was published in the NFU membership magazine ‘Briti sh Farmer and Grower’ and posted on the NFU website, ensuring as much exposure as possible. In 2011, the results from the 2007 informal consultati on were circulated through the same regional and multi -media routes with arti cles published under the ti tle of, ‘I wish my vet would…..’ NFU members were asked if they felt the previous results were sti ll applicable and if they had anything further to add. CATTLE PRACTICE VOLUME 19 PART 2 BCVA 2011 141


RESULTS In 2007, the following 9 point list of ‘wants’ was presented to Professor Lowe: • Price transparency, especially with vet medicines • Fair and open trading practi ces and operati ng standards • 24-hour emergency service • Routi ne health care • Horizon scanning • Consultancy services • Diagnosti c services • Farm health planning • New Technology/R&D support In January 2011, following the second short, informal consultati on, it was clear that the original list was sti ll deemed relevant. Some points were expanded upon and a few new points were added as well though. There was concern expressed about OV tendering with a perceived fear that farmers would end up with vets who were strangers to them coming onto their farm. Farmers were also worried that they may be subject to offi cial visits from vets who were unskilled, inexperienced or who lacked empathy with the animals. In a similar vein to this, comments were received about the need for stability within the vet practi ce and young vet training. Responses also linked stability to the level of skills, understanding and onfarm familiarity of vets. There was a suggesti on that farmers and generalist large animal vets could not keep updated with on-going technical and scientifi c advances in animal science and that specialist vets could fulfi l that knowledge transfer role. On the subject of specialism, there were a small number of comments about alternati ve medicine use, parti cularly homeopathy, and a reported lack of veterinary recogniti on of this subject. There were lots of positi ve comments about farm health planning, and the desire to see vets integrati ng themselves into the whole farm management team. The ability of the vet to remain imparti al and free from commercial bias was an important factor here. There was concern expressed though that some vets may not have enough knowledge about the business of livestock farming to fully engage in this opportunity. One welcome comment was the need for biosecurity advice from farm vets, with one farmer suggesti ng that his vet should be able to provide a link between him and another farmer or vet; helping him to ask the diffi cult questi ons about CATTLE PRACTICE VOLUME 19 PART 2 BCVA 2011 142 health status of animals before he purchased them. The cost of veterinary medicines did come up but it was very much linked into the all-encompassing and preventati ve use of medicines, rather than discussing the basic cost. There were calls though for open and transparent pricing lists or tariff s within practi ces to be displayed. One fi nal comment was more of an observati on relati ng to the way ahead. Increasingly retailers are developing dedicated supply chains which can provide benefi ts for their suppliers in terms of contract stability and price. A lot of these dedicated supply chains involve some form of standard or animal health targets and the role of the vet was seen as criti cal to enable the farmer to meet his contractual obligati ons and achieve business benefi t. DISCUSSION It is very easy to make assumpti ons about the thoughts of one group in relati on to another, or to assume that your prioriti es match everyone else’s. We are all guilty of doing this; it is a sign of our passion and enthusiasm for whatever area of work we do. NFU members have been consistent in their ‘wants’ over the two survey periods. The next challenge is for the veterinary profession to actually show that these messages have been listened to and understood. It is important though that the context and prioriti es behind some of the comments are understood bett er. The basic premise is that farmers and farm animal vets are all striving to make a living from farm animal food producti on; an area under extreme politi cal and economic pressure, both at a Nati onal and Internati onal level. The high cost of inputs and feed are eroding profi t margins on farm; and a falling level of disposable income is altering the way that UK consumers shop. The UK’s major retailers are fi ghti ng for customer share, oft en using price as the batt le ground with quality as an aspirati onal add-on. Farms will conti nue down the road of consolidati on and intensifi cati on with confl icti ng challenges to produce more, impact less and the need to generate enough profi t to invest for the future. There will be impacts on traditi onal building designs, animal geneti cs, animal behaviour and stockmanship skills, and implicati ons for slurry storage and animal nutriti on and diets. External factors such as new regulatory frameworks, European expansion, climate change, economic development and internati onal transport will all impact on our shared futures. Pests and


CATTLE PRACTICE VOLUME 19 PART 2 BCVA 2011 143 diseases will conti nual to evolve and scientifi c innovati on will need to keep up to feed our thirst for knowledge. The development of new veterinary medicinal products is unlikely to be seen as a priority for the internati onal pharmaceuti cal companies, due to the cost and level of risk involved in investi ng in product innovati on for a relati vely small market place. It is possible then that farmers and vets will have to be smarter in how they use the available products they already have. This is increasingly important in the face of growing anti bioti c resistance in human, companion and food producing animals. The infl uence and involvement of the retailers on farm is increasingly changing the needs and dynamics of farmer/vet relati onships. Farm assurance schemes such as the Red Tractor, have a requirement for animal health planning, albeit varying to some extent in detail. Most retailers will have parti cular required standards but will oft en be content that these are delivered by the farm assurance schemes. Where retailers do have their own scheme and have dedicated farmer suppliers, the need for an engaged and knowledgeable private vet working alongside the farmer is vital and can make all the diff erence between a farmer meeti ng his contractual obligati ons or not. The veterinary profession has a strong and trusted positi on in the farming community but the demands for veterinary services are changing. The challenge for the veterinary profession is to to react positi vely to that change. This will require atti tudinal, educati onal and clinical evoluti on across the whole profession. Vet practi ces must adapt their business models and charging structures. Veterinary educati on establishments need to recognise the additi onal skills and knowledge required of new graduates and provide the right nurturing and enabling environment to encourage confi dence in their chosen careers. Vets in practi ce must be prepared to lead from the front. Livestock farmers are fi rst and foremost small business owners and they need professional skills and experti se amongst their professional advisers.


IBR Nett leton, P.F., 11 Claverhouse Drive, Edinburgh EH16 6BR. Formerly Virus Surveillance Unit, Moredun Research Insti tute, Edinburgh EH26 0PZ ABSTRACT Infecti ous bovine rhinotracheiti s (IBR) is the major disease caused by bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1). Catt le are the only animals to suff er disease and spread infecti on. The virus is important to all catt le farmers because of the range of diseases it can cause and the restricti ons it can impose on cross-border trade. The virus owes its success to producing millions of infecti ous parti cles during a primary infecti on and then establishing a life-long latent infecti on which can break down at any ti me to release infecti ous virus again. Eff ecti ve control depends on understanding the epidemiology of the virus, knowledge of the disease status of a herd and implementati on of a herd health plan, ideally through a CHeCS-approved Catt le Health Scheme. Marker vaccines can be a helpful tool in BoHV-1 control schemes and ulti mately in eradicati on programmes at farm, regional and nati onal levels. KEYWORDS: IBR virus, BoHV-1, catt le, virus, herd health INTRODUCTION Infecti ous bovine rhinotracheiti s (IBR) is the commonest disease resulti ng from the infecti on of catt le with bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1). As well as IBR, which encompasses respiratory and ocular disease, BoHV-1 can also cause reproducti ve, nervous, and severe neonatal disease. BoHV-1 is a major pathogen of catt le which, as an alphaherpesvirus, establishes a life-long latent infecti on in nervous sensory ganglia following primary infecti on. Latent virus can be reacti vated by various sti muli and subsequent re-excreti on maintains infecti on within a herd. Because of its importance, infecti on with BoHV-1 is a barrier to internati onal trade and at least six European countries have successfully eradicated BoHV-1. Such schemes now frequently make use of marker vaccines which allow the diff erenti ati on of infected from vaccinated animals. BOVINE HERPESVIRUS 1 BoHV-1 is the most important of the eight separate herpesviruses so far known to naturally infect catt le. It is classifi ed within the Varicella genus of the alphaherpesvitus sub-family and is closely related to pseudorabies virus (Suid herpesvirus-1), and varicella-zoster (chickenpox) virus (Human herpesvirus 3). It has a typical alphaherpesvirus structure, being 150nm in diameter, and having an enveloped icosahedral capsid containing double stranded DNA which codes for approximately 70 proteins. The BoHV-1 genome encodes 20 structural proteins which can be separated on a laboratory gel according to size, with the largest protein being labelled A. Among these proteins are 10 envelope glycoproteins which are labelled g (for glycoprotein) followed by the lett er of the alphabet which designates their positi on among all the BoHV-1 proteins. By deleti ng individual genes from BoHV-1 it has been shown that the resulti ng mutant viruses either will or will not grow in laboratory cell culture. Each gene can then be classifi ed as essenti al or non-essenti al for virus replicati on. Viruses in which the non-essenti al gene for glycoprotein gE has been deleted grow well in cell culture and can be used as marker vaccines (see below). All known BoHV-1 isolates belong to one single viral species. They are anti genically similar and stable so that the risk of new anti genic variants arising is low. The viruses do, however, vary considerably in virulence (Kaashoek and others 1996). Using genomic and viral pepti de patt ern analysis the viruses can be divided into two subtypes:- BoHV-1.1 and BoHV-1.2. Isolates from the severe respiratory disease fi rst seen in North American feedlots belong to subtype 1.1, whereas early European isolates of virus associated predominantly with genital infecti on and mild respiratory disease belong to subtype 1.2. The subtype 1.2 has been further subdivided into 1.2a and 1.2b. Only subtypes 1.1 and 1.2b are known to occur in the UK with the introduced subtype 1.1 now predominati ng (Edwards and others 1990). CATTLE DISEASES IN UK CAUSED BY BoHV-1 IBR Original reports of IBR in the UK were of mild infecti ons of the upper respiratory system and the eye. Disease of the reproducti ve tract, infecti ous pustular vulvovaginiti s (IPV) and infecti ous balanoposthiti s (IPB), also occurred alone or concurrently with IBR. Aborti on was not reported (Deas & Johnston 1973). A more severe form of IBR emerged in the winter of 1977-78 in North-East Scotland and spread CATTLE PRACTICE VOLUME 19 PART 2 BCVA 2011 144


quickly so that the disease soon became a major economic problem in beef and dairy herds in many parts of Britain. The clinical fi ndings in 15 incidents of severe IBR showed high morbidity rates usually among housed catt le recently purchased from a market. Reduced appeti te, dullness, coughing and oculonasal discharge were the major presenti ng signs. Aff ected animals developed a serous nasal discharge which became purulent in severe cases. In the early stages the nasal mucosa was congested oft en to be followed by the development of yellow-brown diphtheriti c plaques associated with halitosis. Soft coughing was frequently heard but pneumonia was rarely confi rmed in the live animal. Pyrexia was detected in every sick animal and also present in other early cases in the aff ected groups. Conjuncti viti s and serous ocular discharge later becoming mucoid or mucopurulent were major fi ndings as was the drooling of saliva without obvious oral lesions. Signifi cant weight loss in fatt ening catt le and reduced milk yields in dairy catt le were seen (Wiseman and others 1980). Many outbreaks of IBR are not as dramati c as these early infecti ons in a naïve populati on. Mild respiratory and ocular signs in a few animals can be encountered as can ocular disease alone, in which painful bilateral conjuncti viti s with epiphora occurs. Surveillance reports, however, conti nue to describe signifi cant disease such as 5% mortality in heavy catt le, and pyrexia, milk drop and oculonasal discharge in a previously naïve dairy herd. The severity of disease is infl uenced by secondary bacterial infecti ons as exemplifi ed in separate outbreaks where death resulted from purulent pneumonia, and multi focal ulcerati ve oesophagiti s in heifers or necroti sing laryngiti s and bronchopneumonia in fatt ening bulls (Holliman and others 2005). IPV/IPB Venereal transmission of BoHV-1 results in the development of IPV or IPB shortly aft er mati ng. In both sexes the genital mucosa becomes oedematous and hyperaemic with small pustules which coalesce to form a yellowish-white fi brinous membrane which becomes detached resulti ng in the formati on of ulcers. Acutely infected catt le can be fi dgety, depressed, febrile and anorexic. Secondary bacterial contaminati on results in purulent discharges and delayed healing. Reports of IPV/IPB are rare. ABORTION Aborti on due to BoHV-1.1 is less common in the UK than in the USA, although a 5% aborti on rate CATTLE PRACTICE VOLUME 19 PART 2 BCVA 2011 145 in a UK dairy herd has been recorded (Holliman and others 2005). A survey of 400 aborted foetuses predominantly from Scotland in the years 2007- 2009 showed by real-ti me PCR that 10 (2.5%) were infected with BoHV-1. The infected foetuses were aged between 5 and 8.5 months (Crook 2011). Aborti on results from foetal death following systemic infecti on of the dam. The interval between exposure and aborti on can range from 15 days to several months so that foetuses may be expelled while clinical IBR is evident in the herd or as long as 100 days later. Experimental fi ndings have provided an excellent descripti on of the necroti c placentiti s and multi focal necrosis in the liver, kidney and other organs which results in foetal death and expulsion (Rodger and others 2007). Nervous Disease Following respiratory infecti on BoHV-1 enters the CNS of catt le without provoking any clinical signs of nervous disease. Outbreaks of herpesvirus-induced nervous disease among catt le in other countries are caused by BoHV-5 the virus most closely related to BoHV-1. BoHV-5 has not been recorded in the UK, where nervous disease caused solely by BoHV-1 is very rare. Neonatal beef calves have been reported with nervous and upper respiratory disease due to BoHV-1 (Penny and others 2002). Occasional older catt le may develop nervous symptoms at the same ti me as, or shortly aft er showing signs of IBR. Some of these cases are of thromboembolic meningoencephaliti s (TEME) due to Histophilus somni infecti on. Aff ected animals become very dull and are termed ‘sleepers’ (Roberts and others 1981). Neonatal Disease Neonatal calves infected with BoHV-1 suff er a severe systemic disease which is commonly fatal. The animals develop all the symptoms of severe IBR but also have necroti c lesions of the alimentary tract mucosa which suggest BVD virus involvement. Death may or may not be associated with inhalati onal pneumonia. In reported outbreaks aff ected calves have been the progeny of newly purchased BoHV-1 naïve heifers. They therefore received no naturally protecti ve colostral anti body and were fully suscepti ble when born into an endemically infected herd (Higgins & Edwards 1986) PATHOGENESIS OF INFECTION Calves with maternally derived anti body (MDA) against BoHV-1 are usually protected from infecti on for the fi rst few months of life. Infecti on can occur at any age thereaft er. Natural infecti on with


CATTLE PRACTICE VOLUME 19 PART 2 BCVA 2011 146 BoHV-1 results in the producti on and excreti on of high ti tres of infecti ous virus from mucosal surfaces and rapid spread to other suscepti ble catt le. Within the animal there is viraemia which is diffi cult to detect and neuroinvasion. While the viraemia may lead to foetal infecti on and aborti on the levels of virus in the blood are very low and litt le is yet known about when and how the virus spreads systemically. Similarly, mechanisms of neuroinvasion are ill-understood but BoHV-1 is thought to infect neurones via nerve endings in the mucosae and ascend towards the CNS along the trigeminal nerve. Latent infecti on is established in the trigeminal ganglion. The immune response to primary infecti on with BoHV-1 is effi cient with interferon producti on, humoral and cellular immunity all contributi ng to recovery. Specifi c anti body is detectable from 10 days post-infecti on and serum levels peak 2-3 weeks later. Any bovine animal with anti body has a life-long latent infecti on and is a risk to other catt le. Very occasional animals may be seronegati ve latent carriers (SNLC). They are thought to result when calves with MDA are infected and do not produce detectable levels of anti body. Reacti vati on from latency can occur from natural sti muli such as parturiti on or transport and can be induced by corti costeroid treatment. Reacti vated virus travels down nerves to the original site of entry where virus amplifi cati on may or may not lead to virus re-excreti on. Animals with high anti body ti tres are less likely to re-excrete virus. Reacti vati on and reexcreti on in animals with low anti body ti tres will boost the anti body levels. Virus re-excreti on also depends on the virus phenotype which is relevant to live vaccine virus selecti on. (Muylkens and others 2007). EPIDEMIOLOGY BoHV-1 is a successful virus with a worldwide distributi on. Catt le are believed to be the only natural host, although other ruminants have their own host-specifi c alphaherpesviruses which cross-react serologically with BoHV-1 (Thiry and others 2006). The virus owes its success to the high quantiti es of virus produced during primary infecti on and to virus re-excreti on from latently infected animals. BoHV-1 is most commonly introduced into a herd by the purchase of or contact with catt le undergoing primary infecti on or re-excreti ng latent virus. Risk factors for herds to be infected with BoHV-1 include:- purchasing catt le, large herd size, presence of dairy catt le, high density of herds in the region, catt le parti cipati ng in shows and professional visitors not wearing protecti ve clothing. Approximately 70% of dairy herds in the UK and Ireland are infected with BoHV-1 but regional variati ons have been revealed by recent studies. A serological study of 107 unvaccinated herds in south west England showed that 89 (83%) had at least one BoHV-1 anti body positi ve bovine. Of 52 beef herds 73% were infected, compared to 96% of 51 dairy herds. During the study period 2002-2004 seroconversion occurred in 53 herds. The median seroprevalence was signifi cantly higher in herds where catt le had seroconverted (57%) compared to herds where they had not (11%) (Woodbine and others 2009). Herd level BoHV-1 seroprevalences are 54% in dairy herds in Wales (Bishop and others 2010) and 75% in both dairy and beef herds in the Republic of Ireland (Cowley and others 2011). DIAGNOSIS The diagnosis of clinical diseases caused by BoHV-1 may be possible in some outbreaks but laboratory confi rmati on is frequently required. Virus is present at highest concentrati ons and can be readily detected during the early clinical signs of pyrexia and serous discharges. Virus detecti on alone, however, cannot be relied on as conclusive evidence that a disease is due to BoHV-1. Because virus can be reacti vated during stress or disease it is also important that blood is collected for anti body determinati on during acute disease and again 2-4 weeks later. A defi niti ve diagnosis of disease due to BoHV-1 is best achieved if the appropriate clinical symptoms, virus detecti on and seroconversion to BoHV-1 are all demonstrated. Virus Detecti on For the eff ecti ve detecti on of BoHV-1 it is essenti al that samples are collected from early cases of disease. Animals presented for examinati on during an IBR outbreak are usually those worst aff ected which have obvious mucopurulent nasal and ocular discharges due to secondary bacterial infecti on. Such animals are unsuitable for virus detecti on. Examinati on of other animals in the group should reveal earlier, less obvious cases. These will have serous nasal and ocular discharges and pyrexia, and will have been infected 3-6 days earlier. Both nasal and ocular secreti ons should be collected using 12cm cott on wool swabs. The nasal swab should be inserted to its full length so that epithelial cells are collected. Bronchoalveolar lavages (BALs) are less suitable for detecti ng BoHV-1 than they are for detecti ng lower respiratory tract viruses such as bovine respiratory syncyti al and parainfl uenza type3.


For diagnosing IPV/IPB, vaginal and preputi al swabs should be collected from early cases. Semen may contain virus and should be collected for virological examinati on. In most laboratories the initi al test for virus will be a rapid fl uorescent anti body test (FAT) to demonstrate viral anti gen in infected cells. More sensiti ve follow-up tests include virus isolati on and polymerase chain reacti on (PCR). Real ti me PCR tests are more sensiti ve than virus isolati on and are useful for detecti ng small amounts of virus in bovine semen (Wang and others 2007). Virus in ti ssues from dead animals can be detected by the above methods and its locati on can be demonstrated by immunohistochemistry (IHC). From bovine aborti ons real ti me PCR has been shown to be the most eff ecti ve way of confi rming BoHV-1 even in some autolysed foetuses (Crook 2011). Serology In all cases of suspected disease paired sera from several animals in the aff ected group should be collected. Sera from aborti ng cows at the ti me of aborti on and 2-4 weeks later may provide evidence to support recent BoHV-1 infecti on while absence of anti bodies in both sera will exclude this virus as the cause. Single serum samples are rarely helpful in the diagnosis of disease, but are the best way of determining whether or not an individual animal has been infected and has become a latent virus carrier. The introducti on of a bull excreti ng BoHV1 into a suscepti ble herd can have disastrous consequences. Since every bull with anti body to CATTLE PRACTICE VOLUME 19 PART 2 BCVA 2011 147 BoHV-1 is latently infected they must be identifi ed before purchase. For anti body determinati on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) are used with serum neutralisati on (SN) tests available in some laboratories. VACCINES BoHV-1 vaccines are very good at preventi ng clinical disease and reducing virus spread, but they do not prevent latency. Live att enuated vaccines, given intranasally or intramuscularly are commonly used to protect catt le at risk, and intranasal vaccine in the face of an outbreak can reduce clinical signs of disease. Calves can be vaccinated at 3-4 weeks in the face of MDA but should be revaccinated at 3 months. Catt le older than 3 months are protected by a single dose but 6 monthly vaccine boosters are needed to maintain protecti on. The majority of vaccines are safe to use in pregnant catt le. Live att enuated strains of BoHV-1 are frequently combined with vaccine viruses of other catt le pathogens in order to provide a wider protecti on against all the major causes of bovine respiratory disease. In some such combinati on vaccines the vaccine may not be suitable to use in pregnant catt le. BoHV-1 vaccines available in the UK are shown in Table 1. Several European countries have embarked on BoHV-1 control and eradicati on programmes using gE gene deleted marker vaccines. Both live and inacti vated forms of the vaccine are available. There is evidence that live gE-negati ve vaccines induce bett er protecti on in naïve catt le than the inacti vated marker vaccine, but that the inacti vated Table 1. IBR vaccines available in the UK. Vaccine Name Type Live or Inacti vated Route Booster Tracherine Whole virus Live (temperature sensiti ve) Intranasal 6 months Imuresp RP Whole virus +PI3 Live (temperature sensiti ve) Intranasal 6 months Rispoval 4 Whole virus + BRSV,BVDV,PI3 Inacti vated Intramuscular 6 months Bovilis IBR Marker Live gE deleted Live Intranasal or Intramuscular 6 months Rispoval IBR Marker Live gE deleted Live Intranasal or Intramuscular 6 months Rispoval IBR marker Inacti vated gE deleted Inacti vated Subcutaneous 6 months Hiprabovis IBR Marker Live gE deleted Live Intramuscular 6 months


CATTLE PRACTICE VOLUME 19 PART 2 BCVA 2011 148 vaccine was bett er at reducing virus excreti on aft er reacti vati on than the live vaccine. When used in conjuncti on with an ELISA test which detects anti body to the gE glycoprotein it is possible to diff erenti ate naturally infected (positi ve for anti body to gE) from vaccinated catt le (negati ve for anti body to gE). A range of experimental vaccines have been developed and the topic of BoHV-1 vaccinati on has been reviewed (Van Drunen Litt levan den Hurk 2006). CONTROL The required degree of control over BoHV-1 infecti on will depend on the farming enterprise and will be included in every herd health plan. Herds known to be free of infecti on will require vigilant biosecurity to remain free. Herd owners requiring validati on of freedom or wishing to achieve freedom should join one of the Catt le Herd Health Schemes certifi cated by Catt le Health Certifi cati on Standards (CHeCS). Infected herds can be freed from infecti on without the use of vaccines by the removal of seropositi ve animals and the establishment of a seronegati ve breeding herd of young uninfected stock (Corkish 1988). Vaccines can be useful tools for reducing the incidence of disease and transmission of BoHV-1 within a herd. However, virus can sti ll spread within a vaccinated herd, hence good management in additi on to a strict vaccinati on schedule is needed to control infecti on. ERADICATION BoHV-1 has been eradicated from Austria, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland without the use of vaccines. Other European countries have embarked on nati onal control programmes and many now only allow the use of marker vaccines to facilitate possible future eradicati on schemes. Marker vaccines allow the diff erenti ati on of infected from vaccinated animals (DIVA). Eradicati on schemes using a DIVA strategy can be applied at the herd, regional or nati onal level but require long-term planning, a full understanding of the biology of BoHV-1, and a commitment to management practi ces that minimise the spread of virus. REFERENCES Bishop, H., Erkelens, J., Van Winden, S. (2010) Indicati ons of a relati onship between buying-in policy and infecti ous diseases on dairy farms in Wales. Vet Rec. 167: 644-7 Corkish, J.D. (1988) The establishment of an IBR seronegati ve herd is practi cable. Vet. Rec. 122: 552-554 Crook, T.C. (2011) Investi gati ng the role of bovine herpesvirus-1 in aborti on and systemic disease in catt le. PhD thesis, University of Edinburgh. Cowley, D.J.B., Clegg, T.A., Doherty, M., More, S.J. (2011) Aspects of bovine herpesvirus-1 infecti on in dairy and beef herds in the republic of Ireland. Acta,. Vet. Scand. 53: 40 Deas, D.W., Johnston, W.S. (1973) The isolati on and transmission of the virus of infecti ous bovine rhinotracheiti s/ infecti ous pustular vulvovaginiti s. Vet. Rec. 92: 636-639 Edwards, S., White, H., Nixon, P. (1990) A study of the predominant genotypes of bovid herpesvirus 1 found in the UK. Vet. Microbiol. 22: 213-223 Higgins, R.J., Edwards, S. (1986) Systemic neonatal infecti ous bovine rhinotracheiti s virus infecti on in suckler calves. Vet. Rec. 119: 177-178 Holliman, A., Lord, M., Henderson, T., Nett leton, P., Scholes, S., Higgins, R. (2005) Observati ons on bovine herpesvirus type 1 infecti on in catt le in UK (Lett er). Vet. Rec. 158: 59-60 Kaashoek, M.J., Straver, P.H., Van Rooij, E.M.A., Quak, J., Van Oirschot, J.T. (1996) Virulence, immunogenicity and reacti vati on of seven bovine herpesvirus 1.1 strains: clinical and virological aspects. Vet. Rec. 139: 416-421 Muylkens, B., Thiry, J., Kirten, P., Schynts, F., Thiry, E. (2007) Bovine herpesvirus 1 infecti on and infecti ous bovine rhinotracheiti s. Vet Res. 38: 181-209 Penny, C.D., Howie, F., Nett leton P.F., Sargison, N.D., Schock, A. (2002) Upper respiratory disease and encephaliti s in neonatal beef calves caused by bovine herpesvirus type 1. Vet. Rec. 151: 89-91 Roberts, L., Wood, D.A., Hunter, A.R., Munro, R., Imray, S.W. (1981) Infecti ous bovine rhinotracheiti s (Lett er). Vet. Rec. 108: 107 Rodger, S.M., Murray, J., Underwood, C., Buxton, D. (2007) Microscopical lesions and anti gen distributi on in bovine fetal ti ssues and placentae following experimental infecti on with bovine herpsvirus-1 during pregnancy. J.Comp.Path. 137: 94-101 Thiry, J., Keuser, V., Muylkens, B., Meurens, F., Gogev, S., Vanderplasschen, A., Thiry, E. (2006) Ruminant alphaherpesviruses related to bovine herpesvirus 1. Vet. Res 37: 169-190 van Drunen Litt le-van den Hurk, S. (2006) Rati onale and perspecti ves on the success of vaccinati on against bovine herpesvirus-1. Vet. Microbiol. 113: 275-282 Wang, J., O’Keefe, J., Orr, D., Loth, L., Banks, M., Wakeley, P., West, D., Card, R., Ibata, G., Van Maanen, K., Thoren, P., Isaksson, M., Kerkhofs, P. (2007) An internati onal interlaboratory ring trial to evaluate a real-ti me PCR assay for the detecti on of bovine herpesvirus-1 in extended bovine semen. Vet. Microbiol. 129: 11-19 Wiseman, A., Msolla, P., Selman, I.E., Allan, E.M., Pirie, H.M. (1980) Clinical and epidemiological features of 15 incidents of severe infecti ous bovine rhinotracheiti s. Vet. Rec. 107: 436-441 Woodbine, K.A., Medley, G.F., Moore, S.J., RamirezVillaescusa, A.M., Mason, S., Green, L.E. (2009) A four year longitudinal sero-epidemiological study of bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BHV-1) in adult catt le in 107 unvaccinated herds in south west England. BMC Vet. Res. 5: 5


Operati on Johne’s - Preliminary Results from a Johne’s engagement programme in the UK Orpin, P.G.1 , Sibley, R.J.2 , Pearse, H.L.3 , 1 Park Vet Group, 82-84 High Street, Whetstone, Leicester, LE8 6LQ 2 West Ridge Veterinary Practi ce Ltd, Witheridge, Tiverton, Devon, EX16 8AS 3 IDEXX, ONE IDEXX Drive, Westbrook, Maine, USA KEYWORDS: Operati on Johne’s, Johne’s, MAP, paratuberculosis, disease control, Myhealthyherd, Herdwise INTRODUCTION This paper describes a collaborati ve programme designed to engage dairy farmers, milk processors, regional monitoring organisati ons and veterinary surgeons with the eff ecti ve control of Johne’s disease (Paratuberculosis) within UK dairy herds. A web based relati onal database (www. myhealthyherd.com) was used linking farmers, vets, monitoring organisati ons and laboratories and facilitati ng the completi on of structured risk assessments which directed eff ecti ve control or preventi on strategies for infected and noninfected herds respecti vely. A common surveillance approach and educati onal message were provided to all parti cipati ng farmers through a mixture of group and one-on-one meeti ngs. The programme was further adapted and used within a regional control programme in the South West of England which funded more detailed control planning by trained veterinary surgeons. The systemati c process takes the farmer through knowing his herd risks and status with opti ons to extend the process to the creati on of an agreed surveillance, biosecurity and control programme for Johne’s disease. PROGRESS THROUGH JOHNE’S CONTROL IN THE UK A brief history of testi ng Johne’s testi ng programmes have been available for over twenty years in the UK. Offi cial Johne’s screening programmes have been established since 1995 within the framework of the Catt le Health Certifi cati on Standards (CHeCS). CHeCS provides agreed testi ng and standardised biosecurity protocols for BVD, IBR, Johne’s and Leptospirosis (www.checs.co.uk). The CHeCS accredited programmes were designed to achieve and demonstrate the absence of disease with the original aim being to eradicate disease from parti cipati ng herds and so create a nucleus of disease free stock, facilitati ng trading of animals of a defi ned health status. A standard package of surveillance measures are defi ned within the technical guidelines for specifi c infecti ous diseases. The specifi ed tests for Johne’s disease were originally based on blood and/or faecal testi ng. A wide variety of laboratories are members of CHeCS and a comprehensive review of the CHeCS health programmes was recently published (Statham 2011). The early control policies adopted for Johne’s disease were based on an annual blood test (for ease oft en conducted during routi ne Brucellosis or Tuberculosis testi ng) followed by removal of the positi ve reactors (“Test and Cull”). This approach was parti cularly successful in seasonally calving beef herds especially if the risks of within herd transmission were low (calving outside, improved hygiene of maternity areas). Consequently the initi al uptake for the CHeCS Johne’s screening programmes was highest within the pedigree beef herds where a clear commercial benefi t could accrue from the sale of certifi ed disease free stock. This was further encouraged by some breed societi es. However, given that the large majority of dairy herds were not even aware of their own Johne’s disease status, health certifi cati on of the vendor’s herd was not a primary considerati on when purchasing stock. Furthermore, adopti ng an annual test and cull programme in an all year round calving herd with a high disease prevalence proved to be economically challenging, parti cularly due to high levels of culling and highly variable impact on transmission. The lack of success was not least due to the ti ming of testi ng oft en not being linked to the period of risk of transmission. There was a lack of appreciati on of the criti cal need to manage transmission risks in order to reduce the proliferati on of the disease before infecti ous animals were culled. The test and cull approach in all year round calving dairy herds became parti cularly unpopular with dairy farmers and their vets, who disengaged almost enti rely from the CATTLE PRACTICE VOLUME 19 PART 2 BCVA 2011 149


concept of eff ecti ve Johne’s control. In the last ten years, prevalence within the UK nati onal dairy herd has risen substanti vely, mainly due to the movement of catt le between herds and caused by such issues as restocking aft er FMD and TB as well as herd expansion (Orpin and others 2007). Assessment of the risks of Johne’s disease entering a herd using the Myhealthyherd programme reveals that the risk of transmission between herds is high, with 53% of 2215 herds categorised as having high risks of Johne’s disease entry (Figure 1). Johne’s engagement – the early days An industry concern about Johne’s disease prompted the circulati on of a guidance booklet on Johne’s disease produced by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Aff airs (Defra) and circulated to every catt le farmer during 2004. This initi ati ve, supported by Briti sh Catt le Veterinary Associati on (BCVA) and the Nati onal Beef Associati on (NBA), helped increase awareness of the disease in the UK. The BCVA’s successful Catt le Health Initi ati ve project resulted in veterinary surgeons from 117 veterinary practi ces att ending infecti ous disease management training, focussing on risk management, BVD and Neospora control. The parti cipati ng vets were tasked to deliver training for their farmers on a wide range of issues concerning endemic disease management and this helped enthuse and encourage vets in the area of general infecti ous disease control. In additi on to this specifi c training, the BCVA organised a series of health planning courses from December 1999 to September 2004. Almost 500 vets att ended level one training and around 50 vets att ended level two training on infecti ous disease control and CATTLE PRACTICE VOLUME 19 PART 2 BCVA 2011 150 economics. Further work demonstrated the benefi t of uti lising a combinati on of risk and test prevalence as a method of predicti ng Johne’s herd prevalence with a targeted sampling approach (Orpin and others 2005). New Approaches - Danish Risk-Based Control Programme Parti cipati on in CHeCS programmes has increased in recent years with the additi on of disease reducti on programmes as well as eradicati on and certifi cati on schemes. For Johne’s disease, this has included the use of milk tests for surveillance; a change which enabled much wider engagement of dairy producers. Meanwhile, the pioneering Danish risk based milk testi ng scheme as developed by Soren Nielsen (2007, 2009) was adopted by Nati onal Milk Records and branded as Herdwise; this was commercially off ered to their clients. Other milk recording companies have followed suit using similar principles. Herdwise was accepted by CHeCS as an approved monitoring programme in 2008. This created a platf orm whereupon a convenient and eff ecti ve Johne’s control programme could be adopted uti lising quarterly milk testi ng of all cows within a milk recorded herd. A simple system of scoring the risk status of each cow was applied upon analysis of consecuti ve test results. This system increased the sensiti vity of the ELISA test through increased frequency of testi ng and thus facilitated an ability to split the herd into low, moderate or high risk management groups. The disease could then be managed without the need for abrupt culling of animals. This created a more practi cal and popular structured disease reducti on programme for dairy farmers. Figure 1. Johne’s Biosecurity Risks in UK Dairy Herds. Source: Myhealthyherd.com, July 2011


CATTLE PRACTICE VOLUME 19 PART 2 BCVA 2011 151 Infecti ous disease management tools - Myhealthyherd and Herdwise The development and launch of Myhealthyherd (MHH) in 2008 provided a more structured approach to infecti ous disease management for vets and farmers. The coincidental launch of Herdwise provided a parti cularly effi cient system for Johne’s testi ng and the two systems combined created an opportunity to manage Johne’s disease effi ciently and eff ecti vely on any dairy farm (Orpin and others 2009). Johne’s disease is complex and without eff ecti ve tools there are plenty of opportuniti es for advice to be misinterpreted and the control programme to break down. Myhealthyherd is a web based health planning tool (www.myhealthyherd.com) which was created to manage health in catt le herds. The structured soft ware applicati on enables farm specifi c health planning using a secure, shared platf orm linking farmers, vets, laboratories and monitoring organisati ons, each with diff erent levels of access and permissions to ensure security and confi denti ality. A comprehensive Johne’s module was created within the infecti ous disease component of the programme, using the principles adopted by the health management system which included: • Assessment of disease entry risks • Assessment of within-herd disease spread risks • Surveillance planner allowing users to create bespoke surveillance plans • Biosecurity planner to protect herds • Surveillance and vaccinati on database to manage disease over ti me • Prevalence report - using the risk and test data to create a predicti on of true herd prevalence - off ered users viable control opti ons for any parti cular circumstance • Control planner- the ability to select one of six control strategies for eff ecti ve control • Robustness scoring module providing guidance on the eff ecti veness of the control plan selected based on the tasks selected • Traffi c light scoring of disease status to enable and demonstrate progression. The various elements were included into a “Progress Page” which allowed the vet, farmer and monitoring organisati on to track progress within the disease management programme (Figure 2). Myhealthyherd has the facility for laboratory test results and documents to be uploaded into the database providing a secure platf orm for Johne’s control to be managed on a geographic or group basis by parti cipants and users, and if necessary, third parti es, using a paperless system. Veterinary Training Nati onal Milk Records in combinati on with Myhealthyherd, and with initi al support from BCVA, arranged a series of interacti ve training events for practi sing vets. Over 160 vets were trained in eff ecti ve Johne’s disease management. This was further expanded with the compulsory training of vets to allow parti cipati on in the South West Healthy Livestock Initi ati ve (SWHLI) Johne’s and BVD programmes with more than one hundred vets in the South West region being trained specifi cally Figure 2. A screen-shot of the Johne’s ‘Progress Page’ in MyHealthHerd.com.


in Johne’s disease management uti lising the skills of Dai Grove White (Liverpool University). Dairy UK A major progression in Johne’s awareness and moti vati on occurred with the ‘Operati on Johne’s’ initi ati ve organised and promoted by Dairy UK, the representati ve organisati on of the milk processors and allied trades. Dairy UK hosted a day meeti ng in London in December 2009 with a wide range of invited speakers to help prompt a co-ordinated approach to Johne’s control in the UK nati onal dairy herd. A Johne’s Acti on Group was convened in January 2010 with a specifi c remit to create a co-ordinated approach to Johne’s control. The members of this group included milk processors, veterinary surgeons, laboratories, farming unions, Dairy Co, CHeCS, Myhealthyherd, BCVA and the Catt le Health and Welfare Group (CHaWG). Dairy Crest Direct (DCD) DCD, a farmer representati ve group of 1350 suppliers to Dairy Crest, announced at the Dairy UK meeti ng in December 2009 that they were taking positi ve steps towards controlling Johne’s disease. A group of 8 vets were trained to deliver a standard presentati on to farmers with support from NMR, Myhealthyherd and Dairy Co. DCD wrote to about 250 veterinary practi ces covering the geographic area of the DCD supply base explaining how the programme would work and the need for vets to get involved. A series of farmer meeti ngs were organised with the specifi c intent of educati ng farmers about Johne’s disease and control, performing structured risk assessments using the Myhealthyherd tool during the meeti ngs, and funding targeted 30 cow screens for every producer in order to determine the disease status and esti mated prevalence in each parti cipati ng herd. Over 800 farmers took advantage of the 30 cow screens but not all att ended training. Operati on Johne’s Lessons were learnt from the DCD programme and fed back to the Dairy UK Johne’s Acti on Group. The delivery programme was refi ned. More milk processors followed a similar format of engaging their producers in Johne’s awareness: Arla, Wiseman Dairies, Milk Link and First Milk all uti lised the support off ered by DairyCo to provide their producers with educati on and subsidised testi ng. Forty two regional meeti ngs were delivered in the winter of 2010 using vets trained by Dai Grove White (Liverpool University) and knowledge gained through Myhealthyherd. CATTLE PRACTICE VOLUME 19 PART 2 BCVA 2011 152 803 farmers att ended and completed disease risk assessments using myhealthyherd.com, with 550 proceeding to establish their herd status using 30 cow targeted screens. Only farmers att ending the meeti ng had access to the 30 cow screen package. Each farmer completi ng the process was registered on Myhealthyherd and linked to their veterinary practi ce. A prevalence report was generated by the Myhealthyherd programme and electronically delivered to registered practi ces. This provided an indicati on of the ‘true herd prevalence’ based on a combinati on of the risk assessment data and 30 cow screen results. Suggesti ons were made as to which of the six listed control strategies might be most appropriate to adopt. A copy of the prevalence report was sent to both the farmer and the vet. The prevalence report contained the risks of Johne’s disease introducti on and within herd spread, the surveillance results, and graphically illustrated the risks and likely future prevalence of the disease in the herd. Farmer feedback A structured exit survey of 74 farmers was conducted at four meeti ngs organised by milk processors and DairyCo which illustrated the strengths and weakness of the Operati on Johne’s programme. The most important elements to respondents included additi onal training of their own vet in Johne’s control and access to external funding. Of some concern was the fact that approximately half the farmers were planning to tackle the disease themselves without help from their vet as a consequence of the meeti ng, although over 94% intended to “talk to their vet about Johne’s at their next vet visit”. It was apparent throughout the farmer meeti ngs, and from the results of the survey data, that paying for veterinary consultancy for Johne’s control was a block to progress. Consequently, vets in private practi ce were less willing to commit to further specialist training without an income accruing. There was a risk that 80% compliance with Johne’s control could result in 100% failure in reducing or preventi ng the disease. Testi ng alone will not control the disease. The Healthy Livestock Initi ati ve (South West England) Under the stewardship of a group of dedicated vets, consultants and administrators, following guidance from farmers in the South West of England, a robust model was developed to tackle Johne’s disease using funds from the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE). A structured


CATTLE PRACTICE VOLUME 19 PART 2 BCVA 2011 153 programme of Johne’s control and protecti on was developed which dovetailed into the Operati on Johne’s programme but most importantly involved specifi cally trained vets who would be fi nancially rewarded for their parti cpati on. Over 100 vet practi ces in the region registered to take part in the Healthy Livestock Initi ati ve (HLI) project. Three veterinary training events were held in the period November to May 2011 and this led to 696 dairy herds and 396 beef herds registering with the Johne’s HLI control and protecti on programme (up to July 1st 2011). The success of the Johne’s programme has meant that the original target of 750 herds has already been superseded. Over twenty percent of the regions’ dairy herds registered within four months of launch. The HLI Johne’s programme is broken down into four stages: • Johne’s One: farmer educati on through a group meeti ng. This meeti ng uses a common training platf orm similar to the Operati on Johne’s milk processor scheme • Johne’s Two: one-to-one training event. A veterinarian visits farms, gathers risk assessment data and sets up a surveillance plan to establish the infecti on status of the herd. In most cases, this involves a targeted 30 cow screen, in which case the vet advises the farmer on which cows to sample for best sensiti vity. All data are entered into the MHH database • Johne’s Three: one-to-one training event. Creati on of prevalence report and farm visit to create a further surveillance, control and protecti on strategy for infected herds and a surveillance and protecti on plan for test negati ve herds • Johne’s Four: a follow-up group meeti ng to include lessons learned and demonstrate best practi ce. The HLI has created strong drivers for both vets and farmers to take part. The funding mechanism requires a 30% contributi on by the farmer. With support from parti cipati ng milk processors and access to the funding provided by the HLI, this whole process was available for a contributi on of about £150 by the farmer whilst parti cipati ng vets received a commercially viable income for delivering the programme. For a disease that typically costs 1-2pence per litre of milk if it becomes established in a herd this was a cost eff ecti ve investment which has proved popular with farmers, vets and other organisati ons. The HLI programme also addresses many of the weaknesses identifi ed from experiences with the initi al Operati on Johne’s and milk processor engagement programmes. The success of any Johne’s programme on farm requires consistency, commitment, collaborati on and confi denti ality for success. The trained knowledgeable vet is crucial to the outcome of the process. The HLI model developed for establishing disease status, risks, and eff ecti ve protecti on and control plans for any farm, either beef or dairy, appears to be the best structure to engage both farmers and vets into a collaborati ve approach to Johne’s control. Future Developments Eff ecti ve control of Johne’s disease requires a coordinated nati onal approach. The Healthy Livestock model appears to be an eff ecti ve route for delivery of Johne’s control and protecti on taking into account experiences of the past six years. The programme facilitates vet engagement with structured, demonstrable progress and uti lising a simple web based relati onal database. Harnessing the enthusiasm and contributi ons from farmer led co-operati ves, milk processors and industry has created a robust and meaningful platf orm for control. The Operati on Johne’s programme has been driven by farmers which is vital to ensure longterm farmer commitment. Veterinary practiti oners can work with their farmer clients and select the most appropriate control strategy for the herd that meets the aspirati ons and resources of the farmer. This avoids the “one size fi ts all” approach which is oft en used in nati onal control programmes which oft en alienates the farmers that do not fi t the system. If this nucleus of Johne’s management systems is to be extended to create a nati onal programme for Johne’s control there will need to be co-ordinati on of the project as a whole. Whilst Johne’s disease management has the advantage that farmers can tackle this disease in isolati on, independent of the status of their neighbours, there is a disadvantage that the control and possible eradicati on of the disease from an infected herd takes ti me, esti mated to be 5 -10 years. A conti nual collaborati on between vet and farmer is required to ensure compliance and progression. A signifi cant investment is required to ensure success, and monitoring progression throughout the process is key to any successful long term health management system. The Healthy Livestock programme has a central administrati on that ensures compliance and tracks progression of each and every parti cipant in the project and this is proving to be crucially important to ensure long term success.


CATTLE PRACTICE VOLUME 19 PART 2 BCVA 2011 154 Business models now need to be developed to ensure that all the parti es involved and collaborati ng in Johne’s control enjoy the benefi ts of achieving reduced prevalence and freedom from the economic burdens of endemic Johne’s disease. Improved producti on effi ciency and increased value of breeding stock are obvious fi nancial benefi ts for the producer, which can be quantifi ed. Those who provide the resources, both intellectual and fi nancial, which enable producers to achieve these economic benefi ts, must be suitably compensated whilst ensuring that the incenti ves for bett er health are always maintained. CONCLUSIONS There has been a very successful Johne’s disease awareness campaign that has moti vated many groups of people, including farmers and vets, to engage in the preventi on and control of Johne’s disease on UK farms in recent years. Large scale programmes are developing, which are being managed to ensure a collaborati ve approach to the preventi on and control of the disease. A successful model that enables farmers to know their risks, know their status, and have a farm specifi c, eff ecti ve and practi cal Johne’s control plan for their farm has been developed. With some pump-priming funding, central administrati on and a collaborati ve structure to follow, this model can be expanded to create a nati onal Johne’s Control scheme which will reverse the current trend towards higher prevalence between and within UK herds. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Nati onal Milk Records have helped support the development of Myhealthyherd and Herdwise and are a major driver in the Operati on Johne’s project. Without their support it is unlikely that this project would have succeeded. Dairy Co have co-funded the farmer training meeti ngs with NMR and the various milk processors involved have all contributed towards the funding of the 30 cow screens (Dairy Crest Direct, Arla, Wiseman, Milk Link and First Milk). Dairy UK has provided a hub allowing a co-ordinated approach to the programme and enabling the enthusiasm for and progress of the project to be maintained. BCVA have assisted with publicati ons of the progress of the programme helping to keep the BCVA members informed. The Healthy Livestock team have worked ti relessly to create an eff ecti ve delivery programme and have further helped shape this into a practi cal Johne’s control and protecti on scheme. Without these industry stakeholders and many more too numerous to menti on, there would be litt le or no coordinated approach to Johne’s control in UK herds today. USEFUL WEBSITES Proceedings Dairy UK Johne’s meeti ng www. dairyuk.org Myhealthyherd www.myhealthyherd.com Johne’s informati on www.johnes.org Herdwise www.nmr.co.uk/herdwise REFERENCES Orpin, P.G., Duthie, S., Grove White, D. (2005) The use of targeted sampling and risk factor analysis to investi gate the presence of Johne’s disease in Dairy Herds. Catt le Practi ce 13(3): 219-226 Orpin, P.G., Borsberry, S., Caldow. G., Hayton, A., Husband, J., Laven, R. (2007) Clinical Forum - Johne’s disease Part 2: Practi cal approaches to control in catt le herds. UK Vet 12(4): July 2007 Orpin, P.G., Sibley, R.J., Pearse, H.L. (2009) Novel Approaches to Johne’s Disease in Dairy Herds. Catt le Practi ce 17(2): 156- 160 Nielsen, S.S. (2007) Danish Control Program for Danish Paratuberculosis. Catt le Practi ce 15(2): 161-168 Nielsen, S.S. (2009) Use of diagnosti cs for risk based control of paratuberculosis in dairy herds. In Practi ce 31150-154 Statham, J. (2011) Catt le Health Schemes Part 1 - Single Agent Infecti ous Diseases. In Practi ce May 2011 33: 210-217


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