Proceedings of the 10th International Colloquium on Paratuberculosis

COMPLEMENTARY ASPECTS
On-Farm Disease Reduction Practices
Grazing management and biosecurity planning are also tools <strong>of</strong> choice for controlling disease
on-farm and reducing <strong>the</strong> risk <strong>of</strong> spreading infection. Producers are encouraged to develop
property disease management plans that
• most importantly, determine <strong>the</strong> level <strong>of</strong> risk associated with sheep prior to purchase
and introduction by requesting a National Sheep Health Statement.
• use grazing management to reduce bacterial load on contaminated pastures and <strong>the</strong>
development <strong>of</strong> ‘safe’ pastures (spelled or grazed with non susceptible stock for 12
months),
• implement biosecurity activities such as double fencing, and
• test purchased rams or o<strong>the</strong>r valuable individual animals by faecal culture before <strong>the</strong>y
are released into <strong>the</strong> flock.
Abattoir Monitoring
Abattoir monitoring involves examination <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> intestines during <strong>the</strong> normal meat inspection
process at several key sheep abattoirs. It generates data which is used to estimate flock
prevalence in geographic regions <strong>of</strong> Australia and to provide feedback to individual
producers on <strong>the</strong> occurrence <strong>of</strong> OJD in <strong>the</strong>ir sheep. This feedback enables <strong>the</strong>m improve
<strong>the</strong>ir Johne’s disease control or, where monitoring is negative, to declare additional ABC
credits under <strong>the</strong> testing section (C) on <strong>the</strong> National Sheep Health Statement.
221