Farm Animal Welfare

Cattle Johne's Disease Welfare Management

Johne's disease (paratuberculosis) causes chronic wasting and diarrhoea in cattle with significant welfare implications for affected animals.

Key Facts

Johne's disease is caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis
Clinical disease causes progressive weight loss, diarrhoea and eventually death
There is no effective treatment and affected animals should be culled promptly
The long incubation period of 2-5 years means clinically affected animals were often infected as calves
Control programmes based on testing, culling and biosecurity reduce herd prevalence over time

Welfare Considerations

Clinical Johne's disease causes prolonged wasting and suffering in affected cattle. Prompt culling of clinically affected animals prevents prolonged suffering. Long-term herd control through testing and biosecurity reduces the welfare burden at population level.

What You Can Do

Implement Johne's disease control programmes including testing and management changes
Cull clinically affected cattle promptly rather than delaying to maintain production
Advocate for support for Johne's disease control as a welfare priority in livestock health programmes