Ovine Johne's Disease (OJD) is the description given to sheep suffering from a mycobacterium paratuberculosis infection.   The symptoms are a general "wasting" of infected animals over a period of years. OJD is often mistaken for a range of other problems (abscess, worms, fluke, and dietary deficiency).  OJD is known to be spread by ingestion of pasture contaminated with infected fecal matter, and is known to be spread by the transport of infected fecal matter in waterways. Young animals are more susceptible, and it appears that they can be infected by mother's milk. The bacterium has been reported to persist for longer than one year on the pasture. The question as to whether wildlife can carry OJD remains unanswered, but it is known that Bovine Johne's Disease, although a strain distinct from OJD, can be carried by sheep. With present technology it is not possible to reliably diagnose OJD in individual live sheep.  Recent advances have reduced the unit cost and accuracy of testing with a "pooled fecal culture" (PFC) test.  If OJD is present the entire flock is assumed to be infected.

OJD in NSW AUSTRALIA   Losses up to 9% have been reported in Australia.  In NZ and other countries where the disease is endemic anecdotal evidence is that losses stabilize in the range 1% to 3% p/a.  OJD was first detected in Australia circa 1980 in the central tablelands of NSW, and as of June 2000 there were 453 properties confirmed as infected in NSW. ( LAND p8, 24 August 2000).

The department of Agriculture has begun abattoir surveillance for OJD.  Peter Austin (LAND, June 15 2000) reported that of 300 OJD positive returns up to May, more than 60 were from the so called "control" zones, where OJD is supposedly absent.

The Yass RLPB has noted the high national cost of the OJD control plan and suggested instead reliance on market forces and vendor declarations (backed by the Fair Trading Act) to control the spread of OJD.

Logic suggests that the legislated OJD control plan is not viable.  Logic further suggests that the only way to eradicate OJD is for the federal government to recognize (as did England with BSD) that OJD is of national importance, and offer fair compensation to affected farmers.

Evidence suggests that mycobacterium paratuberculosis is present in our food and possibly in our water supplies.  Alan Kennedy has uncovered and detailed research which would tend to make any normal
hypochondriac like myself think seriously about giving up pasteurized milk products for life.  His
summary is particularly succinct.

The Veterinary Science faculty at the University of Wisconsin USA has published a page on the Zoonotic Potential of Johne's disease titled Association of M.paratuberculosis and Crohn's disease. Karen Meyer et al in the USA have collected and published very persuasive evidence on the site crohns.org.

Producer organizations continue to dither because, as they state:

"there is no evidence of a causative relationship".

However world events may well circumvent the power of producer organizations.   There was a debate on the Crohn's - Johnes connection in the House of Lords (go to column 82) on 19th June 2000, (reported also on the PARA site if the HoL copy has moved.)

Australian medicine is in the forefront of research towards control of Crohn's  disease.  Associate Professor Warwick Selby of the RPAH Medical Center is currently conducting phase III of a clinical trial of anti-paratuberculosis antibiotic therapy.

Readers are advised to move themselves and their loved ones to a "ruminant product" free diet.  Paratuberculosis is a particularly hardy microbe that seems most likely to strike our youth, (those from puberty to the late twenties).   Some researchers are exploring the hypothesis that the hardy bug infects children and lies dormant till the changes associated with puberty.

The evidence seems to indicate that pasteurizing does not kill para, but that UHT milk and matured cheese are "safe".  UHT appears to be safe because the heat kills the para bacterium.  Matured cheese seems to be safe because it's acidity kills the para bacterium over time.  And perhaps well seared meat?  And if your drinking water is sourced from a grazed reservoir, perhaps boiled water?

Created 1997, upgrades 14 November 1999, minor additions 1 January 2000,  11 February,  June 2000, This version July - August 2000