Farm Animals

Sheep Johne's Disease Welfare Impacts

Ovine Johne's disease (paratuberculosis) causes progressive wasting and diarrhoea in adult sheep, with long subclinical infection periods making control a long-term welfare challenge.

Key Facts

Johne's disease is caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP)
Animals are typically infected in early life but clinical disease appears in adults
Progressive weight loss, diarrhoea, and bottle jaw cause significant welfare suffering
No effective treatment exists and culling of clinical cases is the primary control
Vaccination reduces clinical prevalence and can be part of accredited control programmes

Welfare Considerations

Johne's disease causes prolonged wasting with no treatment available. Prevention through vaccination and management reduces the prevalence of this suffering in adult sheep.

What You Can Do

Implement a Johne's disease control programme with your vet
Consider vaccination in flocks with known Johne's disease prevalence
Cull animals showing clinical signs promptly to prevent suffering and reduce herd shedding
Test bought-in stock for Johne's disease status before introducing to clean flocks