09/05/06 WSDA offers free Johne`s testing

Washington Ag Sept. 5, 2006 Cattle owners can have their animals tested - free of charge - for Johne`s disease by the Washington State Department of Agriculture. The program is funded through a U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperative agreement and the push is on to get as many herds tested as possible by the end of the year. Mark Kinsel, a WSDA veterinarian coordinating the state's Johne's program says it's a great opportunity for cattle owners to determine if the disease, also known as paratuberculosis, is on the farm and to have a customized risk assessment performed by your certified veterinarian. Johne's disease is incurable and can be fatal. Kinsel: "Tends to be more of a problem in the dairy industry but beef producers should be concerned as well. It is transmitted in the manure from an infected cow to calf. It tends to be a little bit more of a problem in dairies because of our confinement operations, but it is also a risk in beef herds and the rate of Johne's disease in beef herds is low but still significant compared to dairy cattle." Interested cattle producers should contact their veterinarian or Kinsel at 360-902-1878. I'm Bob Hoff. You can learn more about Johne's disease on the web at www.johnes.org