JOHNE'S DISEASE CONTROL PROGRAM OFFERS FUNDING FOR EDUCATION, …

 JOHNE'S DISEASE CONTROL PROGRAM OFFERS FUNDING FOR EDUCATION,
               RISK ASSESSMENT AND HERD MANAGEMENT
   Voluntary Program Provides Free Diagnostic Testing for California Herds

                              By Michael Payne, DVM, PhD

Johne's Disease (Paratuberculosis) is known as a silent killer of cows and profits on the
dairy farm. What many California producers don't know, however, is that the state has a
voluntary program that provides funding for education, management and even testing
for Johne's Disease ­ and it's free.

It is estimated that up to 22 percent of all dairy herds in the US have at least 10% of the
herd infected with Johne's Disease ­ at a cost of anywhere from $75 to upwards of
$180 per cow. About 10 years ago, the federal government recognized the need to
address Johne's Disease and implemented a strategic plan to reduce the prevalence of
Johne's in US herds. The California Voluntary Johne's Disease Control Program
(CVJDCP) grew out of that effort and provides funding for producer participation.

"This program provides valuable information to the dairy producer. Through education
and development of a herd management plan, a producer can greatly reduce the risk of
Johne's Disease as well as other costly diseases," said Dr. Richard E. Breitmeyer,
California State Veterinarian, Department of Food and Agriculture. "I really encourage
all dairy producers in California to take advantage of the federal funding that is now
available to assist with this important program."

Controlling Johne's Disease on the dairy has numerous benefits. Beyond reducing the
potential for infection, taking steps for Johne's Disease mitigation and management also
helps reduce common GI disease transmission on the farm for pathogens such as
Salmonella, E. coli, cryptosporidia, and rota and corona viruses.

The California Voluntary Johne's Disease Program is made up of three components:
Education (Phase I), Management (Phase II), and Herd Testing and Classification
(Phase III). Producers can complete any of the three phases but must complete Phases
I and II to qualify for free diagnostic testing. All phases are voluntary.

According to Dr. David Ewey of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) who, along
with Dr. Randy Anderson, serves as a statewide Johne's Disease Coordinator, the
program is easy to follow, with guidance from a certified veterinarian leading producers
through each phase.

Education is the first step (Phase I). Producers contact a certified Johne's veterinarian
who will take them through a free training presentation, which consists of an orientation
to the basic biology and transmission of Johne's Disease, clinical signs, control and
prevention practices. The dairyman then receives an education certificate and can move
to the next step. Following this training, the producer will work with a certified vet to
perform a Herd Risk Assessment and will develop a Herd Management Plan (Phase II).

The risk assessment entails a comprehensive evaluation of the animals, facilities and
management practices on the dairy with a specific focus on identifying areas of
vulnerability to Johne's Disease introduction or transmission. Working with the vet, the
producer will put together a plan for the management practices that will be implemented
on the dairy to mitigate identified risks. The CVJDCP provides a detailed workbook that
guides veterinarians and producers in completing this plan, which is then submitted to
Drs. Ewey or Anderson.

"These management plans are focused on realistic practices, agreed to by the
producer, that they can implement and will address the specific goals identified in the
risk assessment," said Ewey, who is a Veterinary Medical Officer for the USDA.
"Working with certified veterinarians is key because they can identify the steps
necessary to each unique dairy and its situation."

After the plan has been reviewed, the producer receives a certificate for having
completed the second phase and qualifies for subsidized (free) herd testing.

Subsidized testing typically involves sampling either a subset of the herd (10% of the
herd or 60 head over 2 years of age, whichever is higher) or the whole herd with a
screening test (ELISA blood test). Free fecal testing can be performed to confirm
disease status in any cow that tests suspicious or positive on the screening ELISA.
Testing results are confidential.

Taking a step further, a producer can enter Phase III, which involves classification of the
herd as positive or negative for the existence of Johne's Disease. For Phase III a
producer must either test a subset of the herd (as described above), the whole herd, or
have environmental sampling, which involves sampling fecal areas of the farm, done.
Once this is complete, the herd is classified as either Positive or Negative.
Advancement to Phase III is voluntary and a producer's decision ­ a CVJDCP certified
veterinarian can provide details on requirements associated with this phase of the
program. Classification status really comes into play on a national level with people
looking to purchase replacement cows where a low risk certification can be used as a
marketing tool.

For dairyman and cheesemaker John Fiscalini ­ who serves as co-chair of the Johne's
Advisory Group and has completed all three phases of the program ­ it is a win-only
proposition. In taking steps for Johne's Disease mitigation and management, he also is
helping to reduce other diseases that are transmitted via the oral-fecal route that affect
herd health, and in the long run, the bottom line.

"It makes good overall sense to participate in this program because it provides for
positive on-farm practices that benefit far beyond Johne's control and prevention," said
Fiscalini. "With a mitigation plan in place, I have reduced the risk of exposure and
infection by calves while also reducing the risk of other diseases. Being proactive about
implementing good management practices increases the health of my entire herd."

The producer-driven CVJDCP is voluntary and dairymen can choose their level of
involvement. Funding, however, will unlikely last forever. Interested producers can
contact certified veterinarians directly ­ a list is available on the CDFA Web site at
www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/ah/johnes_info.htm or on the California Dairy Quality Assurance
Program (CDQAP) Web site at www.cdqa.org/johnesdiseasecontrol - or they can call
their area CDFA District Office (see phone numbers below) for details. Currently 180
California veterinarians are certified to provide these services.

"The program takes producers step-by-step through the process and provides funding
to offset expenses," said Dr. Anderson. "We encourage all California dairy producers to
take advantage of this opportunity while it is available."

Michael Payne, DVM, PhD is Director of the California Dairy Quality Assurance
Program (CDQAP) and the Assistant Director for the Western Region of the Food
Animal Residue Avoidance Databank (FARAD) at the Department of Environmental
Toxicology at UC Davis.

CDFA Animal Health Branch Offices:
Sacramento (HQ) (916) 654-1447
Redding (530) 225-2140
Modesto (209) 491-9350
Tulare (559) 685-3500
Ontario (909) 947-4462


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