Objectives
- Support producers affected with Johne’s disease to undertake management programs together with private veterinarians.
- Provide information to South Australian Industry bodies on Bovine Johne’s Disease and its management and prevention in South Australia.
- Provide training and accreditation for South Australian veterinarians who wish to assist producers in managing Bovine Johne’s Disease or maintaining high biosecurity standards.
- Engage with SA cattle producers to improve the uptake of the One Biosecurity program and develop meaningful disease risk ratings for cattle herds (including J-BAS and J-DAS ratings).
- Provide certification for herds wishing to have high assurance ratings.
- Undertake reviews and updates of relevant PIRSA web sites as needed.
Methodology
- Passive surveillance for BJD is undertaken by private practitioners with support from the Biosecurity Disease Surveillance Program and funding. Active surveillance is undertaken for cattle herds involved in J-BAS and J-DAS rating and monitoring programs under a producer paid arrangement.
- Maintain confidential records of all reports in Objective and laboratory test results of Johne’s disease in cattle on the Primary Industries Information Management System (PIIMS) against the affected Property Identification Code.
- Work with Livestock SA Biosecurity Officers and attend industry events to deliver JD information as requested and provide updates to private veterinarians (including attending SA rural veterinary conferences if possible) and undertake individual visits to rural vet practices as required.
- The JD manager must maintain knowledge on JD and keep up-to-date with any new scientific research or national / international industry developments (particularly JD marketing issues including national and overseas export markets).
- Manage the Johne’s Disease Market Assurance Programs (JD MAP’s), including J-BAS & J-DAS, to provide a level of integrity for South Australian cattle industry. This includes the provision of certificates for industry assurance programs, reminding vets and producers when testing is due/overdue, considering laboratory test results to maintain integrity of the system, plus the maintenance of operational manuals for the BJD assurance programs.
- Provide disease management advice to affected producers and their consulting veterinarians. Assist veterinarians if they want to develop property disease management plans (PDMP’s) for producers where JD is detected.
- Manage Silirum vaccine use in South Australia (requires CVO approval).
- Provide training to veterinarians and final year students in JD Market Assurance Programs, and APAV ensuring a supply of trained vets is available to industry.
- Provide six month and annual reports to the Cattle Industry Board and for reporting to the Minister.
- Provide updates on activities to other producer, government groups and Animal Health Australia as required.