AN extensive testing program for bovine Johne's disease (BJD) has cleared the last of six Kimberley properties that received bulls from a Queensland herd infected with BJD.
The testing was conducted by the Department of Agriculture and Food and funded through the Cattle Industry Funding Scheme.
WA acting chief veterinary officer Mia Carbon commended the WA industry for its leadership and support for the surveillance undertaken to maintain WA's BJD status.
"In December 2012, 448 bulls from a BJD-infected herd in Queensland were traced to six Kimberley properties," Dr Carbon said.
"The properties were quarantined to manage potential risks to the WA cattle herd.
"One property that had received a single bull was released from quarantine following identification, slaughter and negative testing of that bull.
"Not all bulls were able to be located on the remaining five properties, so two rounds of herd testing were carried out to provide confidence that these properties were free from BJD.
"Three properties were released during 2015 and a fourth property was released in May 2016 following completion of two rounds of negative testing.
"The final property was released on August 16."
The Australian cattle industry has endorsed a new industry program known as the BJD Framework, which from July 1 deregulated BJD management and changed the focus nationally to a market assurance system similar to those for other endemic diseases.
"This means that zoning for BJD no longer exists at a national level and so WA can no longer be called a 'free zone'," Dr Carbon said.
"The WA industry is keen to maintain WA's negligible BJD prevalence by not importing cattle with a lower BJD status, and DAFWA has supported this by introducing interim BJD border controls from July 1.
"These controls will be reviewed and a long-term plan implemented by the WA industry through the Cattle Industry Funding Scheme."
p More information: www. agric.wa.gov.au
