New Brochure Available: Cost Of Johne’s Disease To A Dairy Herd

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO—Within the dairy industry, Johne’s disease isn’t a “it could never happen to my herd” event. After all, National Animal Health Monitoring Systems research shows that slightly more than two out of three U.S. dairy operations have Johne’s disease. The big question then becomes “Once the bacteria known to cause Johne’s disease—Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis—invade my herd and my cows are clinically affected, what is it costing my bottom line?”

A new 12-page booklet developed by the National Johne’s Education Initiative shares facts about Johne’s disease, explains the “iceberg phenomenon” and provides three ways to calculate the potential cost of Johne’s disease within a dairy herd. The booklet is free to dairy producers, veterinarians and others within the dairy industry.

“We are excited to have a booklet that addresses the economics aspect of Johne’s disease on a producer level,” states Dr. Beth Patton, chairman of U.S. Animal Health Association’s Johne’s Disease Committee. “One chart even allows a producer to plug in his or her numbers so an on-farm estimate can be calculated in regards to clinically affected cows.”

Dr. Michael Carter, National Johne’s Disease Control Program Coordinator, National Center for Animal Health Programs, USDA-APHIS-VS, acknowledges IDEXX Laboratories for underwriting the booklet.

“With government budgets severely cut, partnering with corporations such as IDEXX Laboratories allows us to provide producers with needed educational material,” Dr. Carter states. “Johne’s disease causes significant economic loss for producers whose animals have the disease, and producers should be aware of what this economic loss might be. In the same vein, producers should be testing and implementing various management strategies to help prevent and/or control the disease.”

To learn more about Johne’s disease or to obtain your free copy of the new Johne’s disease booklet, go to www.johnesdisease.org or call the National Institute for Animal Agriculture at (719) 538-8843.

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