Hi-Protein Breeders learn about
BY ROBIN PHILLIPS
Staff Correspondent
HAMBURG “People are
starting to ask, ‘How common is
Johne’s disease?”’ began Dr.
Robert H. Whitlock, New Bolton
Center, University of Penn
sylvania. Dr. Whitlock came to
Hamburg last week to address the
Hi-Protein Breeders of
Southeastern Pennsylvania.
Hosting a dinner meeting at
Schmeck’s Family Restaurant,
Hamburg, the Hi-Protein Breeders
were looking for some answers
about Johne’s disease and had
many questions concerning the
ongoing research.
Dr. Whitlock is currently
working with other researchers on
the cooperative Johne’s research
project, being jointly studied by
the University of Pennsylvania
and Penn State University. Still in
its initial stages, the project is
revealing the causes of infection,
clinical signs, methods of spread,
and several suggestions for
prevention. Showing slides and
constantly answering breeder’s
questions, Dr. Whitlock provided
sought-after insight into this
growing concern.
“It’s a relatively common
problem, but many people don’t
recognize it,” Dr. Whitlock stated.
Johne’s was first recorded in 1881.
The first case in the United States
was discovered in 1908, and the
disease has since developed into a
worldwide problem, according to
Dr. Whitlock. Current studies
indicate that up to 10 to 15 percent
of dairy cattle in the United States
may be infected.
There is widespread un
derdiagnosis of this disease, ac
cording to Dr. Whitlock, because
people are reluctant to test for
Johne’s disease or admit that it is
in their herds. Because it is con
tagious, if a cow tests positive, the
Department of Agriculture has to
report it and the health certificates
of the herd will have the Johne’s
disease status listed on them. The
owner is encouraged to sell the
positive animal to slaughter to
clean up his herd. If he does not sell
the positive animal, he is not
allowed to sell cows from the herd.
There is also the threat of civil
liability. Questions are raised
about the responsibilities of an
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owner of known infected cows that
may infect a neighbor’s animals or
are indiscriminately sold regar
dless of any clinical signs of
Johne’s disease.
Signs of the disease include
weight loss, intermittent diarrhea
for weeks or months, or a tendency
to develop secondary problems
such as mastitis, infertility, or
infections. “The whole basis of
what you see clinically is because
of the thickened intestinal wall,”
Dr. Whitlock explained.
Johne’s disease is caused by an
acid-fast bacterium related to the
human, tuberculosis organism.,
“This organism is so tough,”
Whitlock continued, “that there is
no treatment for this disease at
this time,” The thickened in
testinal wall is the result of the
bacteria invading the intestinal
lining of the infected animal. The
intestinal lining reacts by
multiplying immune cells,
producing a thickness.
The continued development of
this reaction causes the thickened
intestine to eventually leak protein
from the blood into the intestine. At .
this stage the animal has diarrhea
and shows very poor body con
dition from the constant loss of
weight, despite a good appetite
until she goes down.
An infected animal spreads the
infection in its manure. Con
taminated feed and water pass the
infection along. Soils can also
become contaminated and con
tribute to the spread of the disease.
Newborn calves are the most
susceptible to infection. Born into a
contaminated environment, they
can ingest the organisms right
after birth through dirty bedding,
nursing an infected dam with a
manure-coated udder, or receiving
contaminated colostrum.
The research findings to date
indicate that the older an animal is
before becoming infected, the less
likely that it will show clinical
signs of the disease. A slow
growing organism, the disease
usually takes from two years to
five to eight years until any ab
normalities such as weight loss or
diarrhea become apparent. “It’s
so important to raise the calves in
separate hutches,” Dr. Whitlock
advised breeders.
There are several tests available
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to determine if the disease is
present in an animal. The fecal
culture is the best recognized test
for Johne’s disease. But Dr.
Whitlock admitted that there is a
backlog in the Department of
Agriculture, and the tests are not
currently or readily available to
breeders through that office.
, Private laboratories throughout
the United States have the testing
facilities available with a per
sample cost. With the fecal
culture, there is a waiting period of
three to five months for the results
because the organism is a “slow
grower.” There is also a problem
I of “false negatives.”
“If it is negative, it doesn’t
eliminate the possibility of the
disease, we just didn’t find it,”
Whitlock stated. He recommends a
herd be cultured every six months.
Positive animals should be
slaughtered and negative animals
recultured and tested. After a
period of negative tests a herd can
be identified as “clean.”
He also advised the dairymen
that there is an indemnity fund for
this disease in Pennsylvania.
Complete results of the first
year’s findings of the joint
research program that Dr.
Whitlock is a part of will be
available next March to June.
More than 1500 dairy cull cows
were studied in the first year and
many owners will be questioned
randomly.
“Right now,” Dr. Whitlock
continued, “we’re working to
compare the economic loss in a
positive herd compared to a
negative herd. When we get this
(the complete study) done, it
should be one of the best studies
done on Johne’s disease,” he
concluded.
With printed handouts and a
slide presentation, he gave
breeders a list of prevention
practices to use in their own herds
to prevent or limit the disease.
They include:
Remove newborn calves from
their dams immediately after birth
and raise them in separate
quarters.
Do not allow the calf to nurse,
while nursing the calf may ingest
Johne’s bacilli from fecal con
tamination.
- Feed pasteurized colostrum
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Dr. Robert Whitlock discussed the signs and effects of
Johne's disease with the Hi-Protein Breeders of
Southeastern Pennsylvania last week.
from uninfected cows immediately
after birth. Make sure the udder is
clean prior to taking the
colostrum.
- Protect young cattle from
contaminated feed and water used
for feeding adult animals.
-Do not mix replacement
animals with the adult herd until
they are at least one year old.
- Keep feeding areas well above
ground that is contaminated with
feces.
Never spread manure on
permanent pastures used for
grazing cattle, especially
youngstock.
- Contaminated areas, lots,
pastures should be plowed, turning
over at least 6 inches of soil.
- Rotate pastures to prevent
adult animals from ingesting the
Johne’s bacilli.
ohne’s
- Protect young cattle from all
waste and water drainage that
may come from areas occupied by
adults.
- Fence off or fill in any
stagnant water source. Allow
cattle to drink from only tanks or
free flowing streams.
- Separate unthrifty cattle from
the herd and handle these cattle
last. Return them to the herd only
when known negative for Johne’s.
- Slaughter any animal with
recurrent diarrhea.
After Dr. Whitlock’s presen
tation, William Zollers, president
of the group called the meeting to
order and reviewed the group’s
efforts in the first year.
The jetshake machine, pur
chased early in the summer, has
proved to be an excellent alter
native to other beverages at
meetings and youth gatherings.
“But we’ve got to promote this
thing,” Zollers encouraged. Ef
forts to get more groups and in
terested persons to use it were
stressed.
Carolyn Hollenbach, Bernville,
488-1789, handles requests for the
machine and, for a slight rental
fee, any group or individual can
utilize it to promote milk.
Plans are also underway for a
spring meeting to discuss protein
pricing. Anyone interested in
joining the Hi-Protein Breeders
and their efforts to promote a
better quality milk are invited to
call William Zollers, Rl, Mertz
town, 215-682-7880.
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