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 the end of 2000 there were 505 properties confirmed as infected in NSW. ( LAND p7, 26 April 2001).

There is a report ( LAND p7, 26 April 2001) that suggest that a trial vaccine (Gudaire) might be made available to infected farms.   The report also suggests what many fear - that actual OJD infection rates might be more than four times higher than official figures.  Considering the horrendous punishment meted out to anyone who permits testing of their flock, this disparity is not at all surprising.  The failure to offer the vaccine except to reported flocks sounds like heavy handed political thinking, and is not indicative of either humane treatment or a realistic attempt to mitigate the disease.

Isn't it time that the NSW government admitted that it was bankrupt of leadership and quit trying for a legislated solution?  (From the amount of legislation that our politicians enact, one could not be blamed for thinking maybe that is how they get their rocks off.)  The only positive plan that the NSW government could have had would have been to offer compensation to attract farmers to a control plan.  When I was a kid there was a saying "a stitch in time. . ."  Well that time has passed.  The problem was exacerbated by the NSW government's fumble.  Now we need to discard the useless laws.

More than a year past, the Yass RLPB suggested that reliance on market forces and vendor declarations (backed by the Fair Trading Act) would best control the spread of OJD.     If there is a vaccine, perhaps it should be developed commercially.  (On past performance, if it is managed by the NSW government, chances are it will cost the community a lot more in the long run.)

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.

More recent sites displaying research on the Johnes/Crohns link are the "paratuberculosis organization" site, whose sponsors offer membership for $50.00 US, and the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America who seek charitable (offline) donations.

Producer organizations continue to dither because, as they state:

"there is no evidence of a causative relationship".

BUT

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 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 (for 15 seconds at 72C) does not kill para, but that UHT milk and matured cheese are "safe".   Matured cheese is thought 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,  July 2000.  end 2000 This version May 2001