South Australian sheep flocks with ovine johnes disease and footrot will no longer be subject to quarantine under changes to be rolled out over coming months.
PIRSA, in close liasion with the SA Sheep Advisory Group and Livestock SA, has developed new endemic sheep disease management programs which put the responsibility for minimising the spread of these diseases down to producers rather than regulation.
As predicted by Stock Journal the new SA OJD management program aligns with the decision to cease the national plan.
The modified SA Footrot Management Program reflects footrot no longer being regarded as two different diseases but rather one disease which ranges in severity from virulent to benign.
Producers with infected flocks will be able to trade but must declare it on their National Vendor Declarations and National Sheep Health Declarations.
Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development Tim Whetstone says the programs will encourage safe trading practices to minimise disease spread, reflecting the changing approach to animal disease management not only in South Australia but across Australia.
“Flocks that have been placed under quarantine for OJD will soon be released, subject to risk assessment, and responsible trading practices.
He says it will allow producers to manage the diseases in line with their individual business priorities.
“Producers will need to have a greater awareness of how they are trading in the marketplace and ask questions about the background of stock when making risk-based purchase decisions,” he said.
SA Sheep Advisory Group chair Ian Rowett said changes over the past year to surveillance programs for Johnes disease in sheep by interstate and SA abattoirs, from a compulsory to a voluntary system, prompted a review of the programs.
“It is not possible to have a regulated program with a voluntary surveillance system,” Mr Rowett said.
“SA has been very successful over the years with its regulated program with only 86 properties currently in quarantine out of 7,000 active property identification codes.
“We hope this rate of success continues with the new system.”
Mr Rowett says the changes will help remove the “unnecessary stigma” associated with both Johne’s disease and footrot.
“The change to now treat footrot as one disease is also very important and reflects the latest research that places both benign and virulent strains as part of the same disease spectrum.”
Livestock SA president Joe Keynes, says Livestock SA is working with PIRSA to ensure the new arrangements support industry.
“Biosecurity is everyone’s responsibility and with these new programs producers will need to take on a greater responsibility for disease management and farm biosecurity.
“The good news is that these changes to the endemic disease programs align well with the forthcoming One Biosecurity program which will provide a valuable tool to assist producers on managing both Johne’s disease and footrot into the future.
“As the changes start to roll out this month, producers need to consider how they adapt their onfarm biosecurity and disease management strategies in line with these new state and national arrangements.”
Changes under the new South Australian Ovine Johne’s Disease Management Program include:
- Producers able to trade sheep from properties known to be infected with Johne’s Disease
- Change in the Johnes’s Disease status from ‘notifiable’ to ‘notifiable-report only’. Any suspicion of Johne’s disease will still need to be reported to Biosecurity SA but automatic movement restrictions will no longer be applied to affected properties;
- Detections of Johne’s disease to occur through producer requested abattoir monitoring or on-farm testing; and the Gudair vaccine subsidy will no longer be available to producers. Those in high risk areas and high risk businesses are being encouraged to commence their own vaccination program.
While producers can now bring vaccinated sheep into SA from interstate as part of the new Ovine Johnes Disease Management Program, interstate movement restrictions will remain in place until further industry consultation is undertaken in coming months.
Changes to SA Footrot Management Program
Footrot is no longer regarded as two different diseases but rather one disease which ranges in severity from virulent to benign. The modified program is aimed at encouraging producers to proactively undertake footrot inspections, testing and effective management programs for all degrees of footrot.
While movement restrictions remain in place for very virulent strains of the bacteria, there will be increased trade opportunities for lower virulence strains