1. Experiences with developing a commercial
solution to Johne’s control in the UK
Peter Orpin* 1, 2 , Richard J. Sibley3
1 Park Vet Group, Whetstone, Leicestershire, 2 Special Lecturer,
Nottingham University, Nottingham, United Kingdom, 3
Westridge Veterinary Group, Witheridge, Tiverton
pete.orpin@myhealthyherd.com

2. Rising incidence in UK 2000-2010
Risk of spread within and between herds
increased with consolidation, expansion
and intensification of herds

3. Increasing understanding of economic effects
in preclinical phase
Increasing cause of culling losses ( direct and
indirect)

4. Pyramid of infection and shedding
Myhealthyherd copyright08/08/2016
Clinical cows are
the distraction!
Economic losses
appear here

5. Economic consequences of Johne’s
Direct
Indirect
Consequential
losses
Premature culling,
milk losses,
treatments
Increased risk of
udder disease
Retention of high risk cows
with lower economic
performance
Increased risk of lower fertility,
further emergency culling, udder
disease and lameness

6. The economic effects of Johne’s disease
Death or no value cull
Milk production loss
Slaughter value loss
Disease associations
Premature cull
Treatment costs
Emergency or forced cull
Milk production loss
Slaughter value loss
Disease associations
Premature cull
Premature planned cull
Milk production loss
Disease associations
Premature cull
Cull cost
£3406/ case
Cull cost
£2408/ case
Cull cost
£1304/ case

7. Drivers for the Johne’s Engagement Plan
• Further improve Health and Welfare
• Economic benefits to the producers
• Provide framework for processors and farmers wishing to
progress further with Johne’s control for trading purposes
• Demonstrate to consumers that any potential zoonotic threat
is being handled responsibly

8. Johne’s Action Group and Conferences
• 2010 Dairy UK held an industry
conference on Johne’s disease
• Established Johne’s Action Group
to help co-ordinate Johne’s
control in GB Dairy herd
• Key members- Vets, processors,
milk recording organisations,
farmers unions

9. 08/08/2016 Myhealthyherd copyright
Long Term Objectives of the
Johne’s Management Plan
“To control and then reduce the incidence of Johne’s
disease in dairy cattle with the long term objective of
eliminating the disease if it becomes technically and
economically feasible to do so”.

10. Johne’s Engagement Plan
• Aim was to engage all dairy farmers in effective Johne’s
management that suited their farm
• Predict and Prevent Johne’s disease- protect the uninfected
herds as well as manage the infected herds
• Key priority- “Remove barriers to engagement and motivate
vets and farmers to take positive action”
Orpin.P.G, Sibley R.J.. Predict and Prevent vs Test and Treat.(2014)
Veterinary Record 174: 403-405 doi: 10.1136/vr.g2749

11. Sorry to hear
about the Johne’s
diagnosis
Not a problem,
I’ve culled her
already
“Johne’s control is more than just
a test and cull program”

12. The key objective : Breaking the Johne’s Cycle
Cow infects calf through
milk, faeces or in utero
Calf becomes
infected
Heifer enters herd as
apparently healthy
animal and gradually
develops disease
Myhealthyherd copyright08/08/2016

13. UK Johne’s Engagement Program
Education
Surveillance
Risk
Assessment
Strategic
controls
Myhealthyherd copyright08/08/2016

14. Regional Control Schemes
• Two major funded regional JD
control schemes 2011-2014
• Healthy Livestock ( South West)
• North West Regional
Development
• Delivered using Myhealthyherd
as central database

15. Johne’s Action Group- Key successes
• Common use of IDEXX ELISA for all major milk recording
organisations
• Established acceptance of milk ELISA and use of the targeted
30 cow screen as a tool for initial surveillance
• Promoted engagement between commercial partners/
processors

16. Johne’s Action Group- Key successes
• Retained focus on engaging
farmers rather than surveillance
• Avoided classification of herds
by status as likely to disengage
infected farmers
• Education of vets and farmers
with common messages
• Engage all herds not just
infected-protect the uninfected
Avoiding the “Focus on the urgent”
Clinical Cases Test positive cows

17. Risk Assessments and strategic controls
• Encouraged a strategic
approach and developed and
endorsed 6 Johne’s control
strategies
• Ensured risk assessment and
management central to
control
• Farm specific solutions based
on aspirations, resources,
prevalence and risks
04/07/2016 Myhealthyherd copyright

18. Farmer and Vet Friendly approaches
• Open access to Johne’s Action
Group by participating
processors
• Effective communication
between stakeholders
• Avoiding onerous rules,
legalities, testing burdens
• Facilitate vet- farmer
engagement

19. First 5 years JD engagement program
• 300+ meetings to 2500+ farmers
via major milk processors
• Over 2200 farmers completed
risk assessments using
Myhealthyherd
• 350+ vets educated in principles
of control
• Annual/ Biennial Johne’s
conferences to engage industry

20. National Johne’s Management Plan 2015
• Strengthen the engagement
process
• Development of Action Johne’s
website
• Recruitment of delivery team
tasked to help coordinate
messages and activities
• Develop technical manual

21. National Johne’s Management Plan- Phase 1
• Developed in 2015 with
specific targets
• 77% of GB milk supply
signed up to the program
• Collation of results of
engagement by October
2016

22. Collaborative engagement

23. National Johne’s Management Plan objectives
Phase 1 (2010-2015)
Targets:
• Farmers to determine their risk
and status
• Put in place in consultation with
their vet one of the six strategies
developed by the Action Group
on Johne’s in consultation with
their vet
Low
Prevalence
Lower risk
High
prevalence
Higher Risk
Biosecurity Protect and Monitor
Improved Farm Management
IMF and single Test
Risk Based Control and Quarterly milk
test
Breed to Terminal Sire
Firebreak Vaccination
Improved Farm Management and Test
and Cull
Myhealthyherd copyright04/07/2016

24. NJMP-Phase 2 (2016+)
• British Cattle Vet Association
developed webinar and online
assessment to create a group of
approved trained vets
• Use this group to motivate,
engage and ensure robustness of
plans

25. NJMP Phase2 Objectives and Plans
• Consultation with industry with
plan for veterinary sign off of
robust veterinary led control plan
by BCVA trained vet
• Credible vet/ farmer interaction
creating a robust protection and
control plan

26. NJMP Phase 2-Draft proposals
• Develop an agreed timescale for
veterinary sign off of plans
• Vets and farmers provided
choices as to what tools and
approaches they use
• Robust management plans
applied, farmer pays for plan,
processor encourages
compliance, NJMP provides
structure
2017
• January 2017
• Vet review risks, control strategy,
sign off
2018
• Annual Review
• Review of risks/ robustness/
progress
2019
• Annual Review
• Review of risks/ robustness/
progress

27. National Johne’s Management Plan (NJMP)
Engagement Timeline
NJMP Phase 2 – 2016- January 2017+
Robustness + Compliance Trained vets+ sign off of plan
NJMP Phase 1- 2015-October 2016
Risks and Status 6 Control Strategies
Johne’s Engagement 2010-2014
Education Risk and Status

28. Where we want to end up?
• Farmer and industry commercially driven solutions
• Drivers for continued engagement
• Robust control driving down prevalence in infected herds
• Effective protection for low prevalence herds
• Provide platform of decreasing prevalence if a more
structured program is required in the future

29. References
www.myhealthyherd.com
www.actionjohnes.org
• Orpin P.G, Sibley R.J,Komorowski E (2012) . A voluntary Johne's
engagement programme in UK dairy herds 3rd ParaTB Forum
• Orpin P.G, Sibley R.J.(2014)A Review on Progress with Johne's
Engagement Program in UK Dairy Herds. 4th ParaTB forum
• Sibley .R.J, Orpin P.G (2016) The National Johnes Management
Plan: a national programme for the management of
paratuberculosis in the UK dairy herd.5th ParaTB Forum

30. Questions
Questions