Brian Tessmann’s suggestion that Queensland is BJD-free demonstrates he has little understanding of the epidemiology of the disease and has been absent from the debate too long. We are struggling to support those ruined by the State’s BJD Protection Zone Policy. Under the current guidelines the only region declared BJD free is WA and they have not tested for 12 years.
Johne’s disease is endemic in WA’s sheep flock and we know that cattle grazing with sheep can contract BJD from sheep faeces. So the disease will be in the WA cattle herd. BJD is very slow moving and its infection rate is low in non intensive grazing. It remains dormant in the animal until later in life when placed under severe stress. It was contracted usually from its mother who was shedding if she had a clinical case of BJD while the calf was suckling.
BJD is difficult to find and therefore testing faeces for the disease or blood samples is difficult and inaccurate. The blood test is 20 per cent accurate. The dairy heifers in Japan were tested twice before leaving Australia using the Elisa blood test and found to be negative. Now Japan who probably used the same blood test as us tested the same animals and found them positive. When they culture the faeces of these animals in a few months in all probability will be found negative. The likelihood of young animals shedding bacteria is low.
For 18 months now a team of experts on BJD and industry representatives have been reviewing the current national policy. Their recommendation is to entrust the management of the disease to the cattle producer who also manages most other endemic diseases faced on his property. This national review group includes Chief Veterinary Officers from all states and the Commonwealth. It also has representatives from the dairy industry who no doubt are concerned about the same issues Brian claims to be concerned about. Brian, you are on that committee together with Queensland’s CVO who attended all the national meetings and consultations. Your scaremongering on BJD was liberally applied over the past three years by others before you including Minister John McVeigh who now seeks to practice his hypocrisy in Canberra. Brian, if you consider you have an opinion worth advancing speak up in your Queensland committee meetings but do not litter our papers with these inaccurate and scaremongering articles. – John Gunthorpe, BJD Action Coalition
