Mycoplasma bovis roadshow 

MPI and DairyNZ are be presenting at M. bovis meetings across the country. Come along to get an update on the M. bovisresponse and find out some steps to take to help reduce the risk of getting M. bovis on your farm. View the roadshow schedule

Protect your farm and animals

Download the Biosecurity WOF. Developed with farmers, for farmers. We recommend that you ask your veterinarian to help you work through this check list.

Download the Protecting your farm – biosecurity checklist to identify ways you can help protect your farm from diseases, weeds and pests.

Moving Day – shifting your herd

The biggest risk for spread of M. bovis is through direct animal contact. As moving day approaches and you plan to move your cattle to a new farm, focus on preventing contact with cattle from other herds.

• Steps to take before moving

  1. If you are moving to a new dairy farm, ask the farm owner if there are any M. bovis bulk milk test surveillance results from the past season. Ask about cow and calf health on the farm in the past season, using the pre-purchase checklist. Also ask about stock movements on and off the property in the past couple of years.
  2. If you are moving stock along a roadway and there are cattle in paddocks along the road, talk to the farmers along the way and ask if they could move their cattle to other paddocks away from the road on the day that you are moving your cattle. If that’s not possible, ask if they could put up an electric break fence inside their boundary to create a 2 metre buffer zone. Taking these precautions protects everyone from direct contact.
  3. If you are moving your stock on trucks, talk to your transport operator about your expectations and come to a mutual agreement about what can be achieved to protect your cattle from disease exposure.
     • Expect a clean truck or trucks to pick up your stock. It is more important that the truck is clean inside than outside for M. bovis.
     • The truck or trucks should be dedicated to your job until all of your animals are moved. No backloads and no stock from other sources should be on the truck until after your animals are moved.
     • If it is only your cattle on the truck or trucks, there is no need to ask that the trucks be cleaned between loads.
     • Remember that transport operators are under time constraints and are also working under limitations around water, wash facilities, and effluent disposal sites. You have the right to expect good biosecurity for your stock, but we all have to work together around what is practical and reasonable.
  4. Yards are a risk for transfer of disease when they are under heavy use and when there is mixing of cattle from multiple sources in holding yards. If cattle from another herd are departing on the day you plan to arrive, try to allow as much time as possible for sun and wind to kill bacteria before your cattle come through the yards. Disinfectant spray can be used, but remember that disinfection really only works on clean surfaces. If it can’t be cleaned, there isn’t much point in disinfecting it.

  Plan where your cattle will go on the new farm for the first week. Check the fences and make sure there is no chance that your cattle will come into contact with neighbouring cattle.

• On Moving Day

  With good advanced planning, moving day will go smoothly. It is critical that all of your cattle have NAIT tags and that you record all movements.

  There are also some simple precautions sharemilkers, contract milkers and farm owners can take to minimise the risk of bringing M. bovis on farm:

There are also some simple precautions sharemilkers, contract milkers and farm owners can take to minimise the risk of bringing M. bovis on farm:

• You are a farm owner, looking to bring on a new contract milker or sharemilker

  • Ask where any incoming stock are coming from.
  • Ask for bulk milk M. bovis test results of the source herd(s) if available.
  • Ask if the stock have been mingling with other cattle – can you get any information about these other herds, such as bulk milk testing results?
  • Ask about the health of the incoming stock – including calf health, mastitis, pneumonia, ear infections, swollen joints.
  • Ask if the NAIT recordings have been completed for all cow, calf, cattle movements.
  • Set aside land where new animals can be kept, separate to stock already on farm, for seven days for quarantine purposes.
  • Check to see that all equipment coming on farm is clean and dry.
  • Inform the incoming sharemilker or contract milker about any M. bovis tracing by MPI that has been carried out on the farm, and any instructions given by MPI that may affect how the herd is managed.

• You are a sharemilker or contract milker, shifting onto a new farm

  • Buy animals from as few different farms as possible. Ask for the bulk milk M. bovis test results of the 2017/18 herd if available
  • Supply the farm owner with any M. bovis test results you may have.
  • Ask if the herd has been mixed with any other animals in the past 12 months, including at wintering. Ask if it is possible to get the bulk milk M. bovis test results of that herd.
  • Ask about the health of the cows and calves on the farm during the 2017/18 season – including calf health, mastitis, pneumonia, ear infections, swollen joints.
  • Complete all NAIT movement recordings.
  • When bringing new animals onto the farm, keep them separate from others for seven days and check them for signs of ill health.
  • Clean and dry all incoming machinery and equipment.
  • Ask if the farm has been subject to any tracing from MPI for M. bovis.

Precautions for calf rearing

Calves can contract M. bovis through direct contact with infected cattle, or by consuming milk from infected cows. If you’re buying or selling calves or milk over the coming months, there are some simple steps you can take to reduce the risk of spreading M. bovis and other diseases, read more here.

Grazing

If moving animals for grazing - check the grazing property’s biosecurity health status. All M. bovis infected properties are under Restricted Place Notices under the Biosecurity Act. Ensure that the grazing property has good biosecurity measures in place, such as preventing your stock from having nose to nose contact with stock on the farm or neighbouring properties.

Fencing

Check your boundary fences are secure

Put in double fencing at least two metres apart to stop nose to nose contact between you and your neighbour’s stock. Permanent is best but in the short term it can be simply putting a reel up if your neighbour’s stock are going to be in the adjacent paddock.

Complete NAIT records

Always complete your NAIT records and make sure if you have had movement over the last month they are correctly recorded. Knowing where your cows have been is crucial to understanding and preventing the spread of disease.

Feed

If bringing in supplementary feed - there is no risk of M. bovis infection from bringing in hay or baleage from uninfected farms. If the feed is coming from a farm under a Notice of Direction or a Restricted Place Notice, confirm that it meets any conditions on the Notice.

Advice for rural professionals going on farms

Farmer expectations around biosecurity have heightened since M. bovis was first identified. Rural professionals should consider the following when planning their farm visits:

• Wherever possible, arrange your visit in advance and do not arrive unannounced.
• If you must arrive unannounced, go up the main farm track and remain in your vehicle while you try to make contact with a manager/owner by phone.
• Do not enter the farm property beyond the main farm track without permission.
• Your vehicle should remain on main farm track, tanker track or house access tracks and should not be taken on to tracks/pastures/areas cattle regularly go.
• Have clean boots, overalls, and equipment.
• Many farms will have a cleaning and disinfection station set up for visitors; use this on arrival and departure.
• If the farm you are visiting does not have a cleaning and disinfection station, have a bucket, boot brush, cleaner and disinfectant in your vehicle so that you can do the job yourself.
• Remember that disinfection will only work on CLEAN surfaces
• 0.2% citric acid (1 tsp per 1 Litre of water) is a suitable disinfectant
• If you prefer, contact your local vet or rural supply store to discuss other disinfectant options
• Some farms may have personal protective equipment (PPE) that they will ask you to use on their farm, rather than your own.
• Overall a “clean on-clean off” policy will go a long way to protecting our farms.
• Please refer farmers to facts from industry and MPI websites, there are many rumours out there. Most farming practices can continue as normal with some additional thought and minor alterations.

What is Mycoplasma bovis:

• is a bacterial disease
• is commonly found in cattle all over the world, including in Australia, but this is the first detection of it in New Zealand. We were one of the last countries free of the disease - until now
• it does not infect humans and presents no food safety risk. There is no concern about eating meat, milk and milk products
• it does lead to serious conditions in cattle and therefore constitutes an animal welfare and productivity issue
• it spreads from animal to animal through close contact. Between farms it spreads through the movement of animals that are infected but may not be showing symptoms. It is also potentially spread on contaminated equipment and the feeding of untreated milk to calves. It is not windborne.
• while some of the conditions can be treated, affected cattle will always be carriers of the disease
• the disease does not affect sheep or cause illness in goats although it is thought goats could carry and transmit it.

How does it affect cows:

• untreatable mastitis in dairy and beef cows
• severe pneumonia in up to 30% of infected calves, starting as a hacking cough
• ear infections in calves, the first sign typically being one droopy ear, progressing to ear discharges and in some cases a head tilt
• abortions
• swollen joints and lameness (severe arthritis/synovitis) in all ages of cattle
• know the signs to look out for, download the 'Signs to look out for' poster. If stock show unusual levels of mastitis, abortions or present with arthritis or pneumonia, contact your vet.

Resources

• Mycoplasma bovis guidelines - Updated guidelines for protecting your farm from Mycoplasma bovis. (pdf)
• Cleaning poster - Info to help you protect your farm from disease (pdf)
• Pre-purchase checklist (Mycoplasma bovis) (pdf)
• Mycoplasma bovis advice on using imported or local semen (pdf)
• Managing service bulls (pdf)
• Minimising the risks from Mycoplasma bovis at cattle shows and events (pdf)

Movement control notices issued by MPI

We've had some questions about the different notices that MPI can use to control the movement of animals and people on and off farm. These are the two types of notices under the Biosecurity Act that are issued to farms that are affected and farms that are suspected of being affected. 

• Restricted Place Notice… What is it?

  • Restricted Place Notices (RPNs) are issued to properties that are believed to have, or are suspected of having Mycoplasma bovis present.
  • The RPN prohibits all unauthorised movements of stock and other risk goods onto and off the farm to minimise the likelihood of the disease spreading from the property.
  • Any movement of cattle requires a permit from MPI.
  • Transport vehicles are required to follow a cleaning and disinfection process when they leave a Restricted Place.
  • AsureQuality staff are ensuring cleaning and disinfecting and permit protocols are being met.
  • All incidents of non-compliance are followed up by MPI.

• Notice of Direction… What is it?

  • Notice of directions (NoDs) are issued to farms when an inspector or authorised person considers that movement of stock and other risk goods from a property poses a risk of spreading Mycoplasma bovis. For example, this can be when animals from infected properties have been moved to that property but testing has not yet taken place or results of testing are pending.
  • The NoD is aimed at preventing further spread and does not restrict movement of stock or goods on to the farm.
  • Cattle can only move off the farm with a permit.
  • Other steps such as cleaning and disinfection of vehicles may be required.
  • All incidents of non-compliance are followed up by MPI.

Still got questions?

Please contact us

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