USAHA News
United States Animal Health Association
Contact:  Larry Mark - (703) 451-3954 - ldmark@erols.com


For immediate release:


EDUCATION IS HIGH PRIORITY FOR JOHNE'S DISEASE PROGRAM

	HERSHEY, Pa., Nov. 9, 2005 - Education continues to be a high priority of the National 
Johne's Disease Control Program.

	Citing this need for education, the U.S. Animal Health Association (USAHA) Committee 
on Johne's Disease at its meeting here this week called on USDA's Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service (APHIS) to continue funding the National Johne's Education Initiative 
through a cooperative agreement with the National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA).

	In this same area, the committee said that a better understanding of the economic impacts 
of Johne's disease on beef and dairy production is needed to encourage producer participation in 
the national control program.  Johne's disease is a chronic bacterial infection of cattle and other 
ruminants that causes prolonged diarrhea, weight loss and lowered milk production. 

	The committee called for the production of a "white paper" to spell out the direct and 
indirect economic impacts of Johne's disease on dairy and beef production.  The committee also 
called for APHIS to conduct a new national Johne's disease dairy herd prevalence study.  
Information gained from such a study could support the economic analysis of the costs of the 
disease to producers.

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