Johne’s is a disease that veterinarians, animal scientists and cow-calf producers should start discussing before consumer confidence in the food we produce decreases and the pressure from outside sources to instill more regulation on the beef industry intensifies, writes Gregg Hanzlicek, DVM, PhD. While veterinarians have discussed Johne’s with dairy farmers for decades, cow-calf producers are grossly unfamiliar with it.
Caused by a bacterium Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis the organism causes chronic, non-treatable bowel disease. A key to control is to have a yearly Johne’s risk assessment completed by a veterinarian. The risk assessment will help identify those areas of management that provide the greatest risk for young calf infection.
Source: Bovine Veterinarian, November/December 2024. Link. Note the 2017 USDA study mentioned identified 7.9 percent of U.S. cow-calf operations were found to contain one or more Johne’s positive cows. MAP is also studied for its zoonotic potential, specifically in causing Crohn’s disease.
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