Cost of Johne's Disease Control Programs on Michigan Dairy Farms

Abstract

The NAHMS Dairy 1996 study estimated that 22% of US dairy herds are infected with Johne's Disease (JD), but other estimates range from 21-93% depending on region and testing method used to identify infected herds. In a recent stratified random survey of dairy farms in Michigan, it was estimated that up to 49% of the state's dairy herds were infected with JD. Anecdotal reports by private practitioners in Michigan suggest this estimate is extremely conservative. Regardless of the estimate, JD is a prevalent disease on many dairy herds resulting in economic losses due mainly to lost production, increased culling, decreased cull value, and increased replacement costs. The literature estimates annual losses due to JD in US dairy herds range from $22-26 per cow across all cattle in an infected herd. Johne's Control programs are commonly recommended, but very little information is available on the cost to implement these programs. The objective of this study was to quantify the costs of JD control programs implemented on dairy herds over time and determine their impact on herd prevalence.