Selwyn Times: September 04, 2019

SELWYN TIMES Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Wednesday September 4 2019 29
SELWYN RURAL LIFE
Research aims to assist
M. bovis eradication
New research will determine if there is
a better way of prioritising investigation
of farms potentially infected with
Mycoplasma bovis. This would enable
the M. bovis programme to more quickly
identify infected farms and take action to
accelerate eradication of the disease from
New Zealand.
The Ministry for Primary Industries
and its M. bovis programme partners
DairyNZ and Beef+Lamb New Zealand
have issued a request for proposals
from organisations to undertake
the Epidemiology Research on Risk
Prioritisation project.
“Farms potentially infected with M.
bovis are currently prioritised for follow
up (casing) using several criteria. This
research aims to determine if there
is anything we can do to improve the
current system, to enable the programme
to more effectively prioritise farms at
high-risk of infection for urgent casing,”
explains Dr John Roche, Chair of the M.
bovis Strategic Science Advisory Group
(SSAG) and MPI’s Chief Science Adviser.
Dr Roche says these high-risk farms
are more likely to need animal movement
controls applied to help slow the spread of
the disease and speed up the eradication.
New Zealand is the first country in the
world to attempt to eradicate M. bovis, a
bacterial disease that can cause significant
animal welfare and productivity issues,
particularly in dairy cattle, including
mastitis that doesn’t respond to treatment,
severe lameness and late term abortions.
“This research has been identified
as a priority in the Mycoplasma bovis
Science Plan, developed by the SSAG
to ensure research projects are directed
where they will have the most impact to
accelerate eradication. It also supports
recommendations made in two recent
reviews into the M. bovis programme,”
says Dr Roche.
This will be a short-term project based
on analysis of existing data.
The M. bovis programme has allocated
up to $30 million over two years for M.
bovis research projects, guided by the
science plan as part of the $870 million
in funding allocated to eradicating M.
bovis.
The risk prioritisation research is the
third science plan project to go out to
market. A large number of proposals for
a major diagnostic research programme
are currently being evaluated, submitted
from researchers based in New Zealand
and overseas. Quotes to undertake a
study into the direct impact of M. bovis
on animals and herds are also being
evaluated.
The M. bovis Epidemiology Risk
Prioritisation request for proposals
has been issued on the Government
Electronic Tender Services (GETS).
Applications must be received by 2pm on
18 September 2019.
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