Eradicating cattle disease M. bovis can be expensive if not impossible, but we must try



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STUFF

Mycoplasma bovis guilty unlikely to be found.

NOTICE : In May of this year, the New Zealand government decided that it would attempt to eradicate Mycoplasma bovis, a bacterial disease affecting cattle.

Progressive eradication means that 126,000 more animals will cost $ 886 million New Zealand

Here's what we know, what we do not know and what is at stake.


DOUG FIELD / STUFF

Meeting of Mycoplasma bovis in Timaru

HOW ARE WE THIS IS A NEW INCURSION?

M. bovis causes mastitis and arthritis in adult cattle and pneumonia in calves. It is found all over the world, but New Zealand was one of the last unscathed countries until the detection of infected cows on a dairy farm in July 2017.

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  The key problem of eradication is that the entire herd must be slaughtered if an animal is infected.

DOUG FIELD / STUFF

The key problem of eradication is that at present the whole flock must be slaughtered if an animal is infected.

We can not be sure that Mr. Bovis did not arrive in New Zealand before the current outbreak, but the Department of Primary Industries has tested the disease over the years and has not not found. This involved checking animals with symptoms similar to those caused by M. bovis as well as large scale tests of milk in vats in 2007.

In addition, all countries with M. bovis – including the Australia, where less than 4 percent of dairy herds are affected – have had incurable mastitis and arthritis outbreaks due to M. bovis. In Australia, the disease was reported for the first time in the 1970s, but it was only in 2006 that it was observed in the main dairy areas of New South Wales and from Victoria, where she was reported. caused outbreaks of mastitis. It is difficult to prove a negative and we certainly have not enough data to show that it was definitely not in New Zealand before 2015. But the history of disease in Australia shows that it can be detected even though it is rare.


RNZ

Nearly 500 farmers and industry representatives attended the meeting – the first of a series across the country to be organized by the Ministry of Primary Industries.

In addition, evidence from the outbreak investigation is that all infected farms can be linked to cattle movements.

If the disease had already existed before, traceability would probably have allowed groups of farms to be identified.

[ERREUR ERADIQUE FEASIBLE]

    
        

     Notice of restricted passage on the roadside of a farm infected with Mycoplasma bovis

GERALD PIDDOCK / STUFF

Notice of restricted passage on the edge of a road. Mycoplasma bovis, infected farm

We do not currently know how the disease arrived in New Zealand. The only likely route, via the importation of infected cattle, was ruled out as live cattle imports ceased by 2015. In any case, imports of live cattle come only from Australia and the strain of bacteria in New Zealand is not Australian. Sperm, embryos and illegal imports of veterinary products such as vaccines remain the most likely source, but all pose a very low risk. Although M. bovis can survive in these products, the probability that they are infected and that the infection spreads to cattle is very small.

Without knowing where the disease comes from, we can not help but prevent it from happening again. However, the risk of sperm or embryos bringing the disease has not changed in the last 20 years, so if it actually happened by this route, it was simply bad luck.

So even if – after eradication – we have done nothing To change the way in which semen, embryo or vaccine imports are regulated, it is possible that New Zealand remains free to Mr. Bovis.

  Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Minister of Agriculture Damien O  'Connor visit a farm in Morven. the ...

JOHN BISSET / STUFF

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Minister of Agriculture Damien O. Connor visited a farm in Morven to discuss the government's decision to attempt the progressive eradication of Mycoplasma bovis. Damien O & # 39; Connor and Jacinda Ardern discuss with farmer Leonardo Bensegues. (PHOTO DE DOSSIER)

HOW CAN WE LAND MR. BOVIS?

Authorities will use a systematic testing process to identify infected flocks. The biggest component will be testing the bulk tank milk of all dairy herds in the country. Screening infected flocks will help identify more infected herds and more traces. This is actually a continuation of the current process in order to eliminate the disease.

The key problem of eradication is that currently the entire flock must be slaughtered if an animal is infected because the infection can only be detected at the herd level. .

  Update on Mycoplasma bovis July 6, 2018 provided by the Ministry of Primary Industries

MPI

Update on Mycoplasma bovis on July 6, 2018 provided by the Ministry of Primary Industries.

However, the slaughter of entire herds does not necessarily influence the chances of a successful eradication process. The main problem is that we do not know exactly how many infected cattle or infected farms there are currently. It will take time to identify all the infected farms and it is possible that the number is much higher than the models suggest. This could make eradication impossible.

The tracking of animal movements between farms is another key problem, and the lack of accurate recording hinders our response to the outbreak. For eradication to succeed, farmers need to better know where the animals are moved.

 The Conversation The decision to eradicate the disease is based on science, but this is not a scientific decision alone. Rightly, it is a political call, decisions being made by the government with the support of the industry. Eradication may not be possible, but that does not mean we should not try. It simply means that, unfortunately, the disease has spread far more widely than our current models suggest.

Richard Laven is an associate professor of animal health at Massey University.

Richard Laven does not work for, consults, possesses or receives any funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article and does not receive any funding from any of them. has disclosed no relevant affiliation beyond his academic commitment.

was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

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