Reading Time: 4 minutes There has been lots said about Johne’s disease over the years but a recent webinar by Dr. Cheryl Waldner at beefresearch.ca gave me lots of food for thought. Herds are getting bigger and as that happens, they are more confined. And since the bacterium that causes Johne’s can be spread in the manure, infection via […] Read more
We can’t hide our head in the sand when it comes to Johne’s disease
There are concerns that this contagious and chronic condition is on the rise in beef herds
Researchers join forces to dig deep into state of Prairie cow herd
The five-year project has researchers collecting hard data on topics such as antibiotic use, trace minerals, and Johne’s disease
Reading Time: 3 minutes Cattle in Western Canada tend to be deficient in copper, have a low incidence of Johne’s disease, and cow-calf producers don’t use antibiotics excessively. Those are three of the findings from the cattle health network, a five-year project begun in 2012, and based on the National Animal Health Monitoring System in the U.S. “This year […] Read more
Tips on the proper use of livestock antibiotics
Reading Time: < 1 minute Here are Dr. Craig Dorin’s recommendations for using antimicrobials effectively. Don’t use antimicrobials for diseases that they are not indicated for. For example, abscesses are a common problem, but these are localized infections. If the animal does not have a fever and the infection is not systemic, it doesn’t need an antibiotic. Similarly, don’t use […] Read more
VIDO to develop vaccines against TB and Johne’s
Reading Time: < 1 minute The hunt is on for new vaccines that would protect cattle and bison against bovine TB and Johne’s disease. The Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization International Vaccine Centre (VIDO-InterVac) has developed a number of vaccines since its founding 40 years ago. The University of Saskatchewan-based centre has now been given $2.9 million from Genome Canada […] Read more
U of A research could detect Johne’s disease
Currently no reliable test to detect the frequent problem in dairy herds
Reading Time: < 1 minute Johne’s disease is a challenge for the dairy industry. One of the main issues associated with identifying Johne’s is that the calf gets infected at a young age, but symptoms may not show in the animal for years. Johne’s disease is difficult to diagnose and when present, can cause animal mortality, decreased milk production and […] Read more
Bovine big brother: Surveillance network gives cattle researchers priceless data
Network will yield insights into improving production and herd health — and reassure customers if there’s a sudden disease concern
Reading Time: 3 minutes You can’t pick them out from the road, but 120 herds of cattle across the Prairies are special. They’re participants in a “living laboratory” experiment that is advancing knowledge about the health of the western herd in a host of ways. “We have a mixture of small and large herds, somewhat representative of the number […] Read more
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