As you are all aware, the Government along with dairy and beef industries have agreed that an attempt will be made to eradicate Mycoplasma bovis. Most of the eradication work is expected to be undertaken in one to two years. We recognise that you as our farmer members are concerned about this disease, and we would like to assure you that we are with you every step of the way – we are here to help.
In terms of the disease, Anexa FVC is well informed on the ongoing developments and your local Anexa Vet is well placed to support you with any of your concerns. We will be communicating any new information through our Dairy emailing list via Mycoplasma and biosecurity updates. We encourage you to sign up to our emailing list at
www.anexa.co.nz/newsletters .
The Anexa FVC website has been updated with an additional “Mycoplasma” button on the top right-hand side of the home page. Clicking this link will take you directly through to a new “Mycoplasma and biosecurity” page. Here you will find a general overview of the condition in addition to DairyNZ resources on disinfecting and cleaning, a summary of farm biosecurity and a poster on what to look out for with the disease. Also contained on this page is a short, three-minute video, covering important aspects of Mycoplasma featuring Scott McDougall.
Maintaining good surveillance for the signs of Mycoplasma is all about keeping a diligent watch on unusual combinations of sick animals; pneumonia, swollen joints or ear infections in calves potentially in combination with unresponsive mastitis or pneumonia or swollen joints in cows. Detecting an increase in these types of conditions in a timely manner is really important. One tool that can assist with this is Farmacy (the free to member electronic animal health treatment recording system). It is well worth talking with your Vet about enrolling in Farmacy, if you have not already done so.
Finally, it is worthwhile taking stock on how your farm and farming system is currently set up for biosecurity risk. Now is the time to ask your Vet about a Biosecurity Risk Assessment and ensure you have good practices on your farm.
If you have any questions or concerns about biosecurity or Mycoplasma, please contact your local Anexa Vet.
Our own biosecurity measures
As your local Vet, we are acutely aware of our role in preventing the spread of Mycoplasma bovis by ensuring our own biosecurity practices on your farm and between farms are to the highest standard. We will take all practical steps to ensure our vehicles and equipment are clean, we change our overalls between jobs, and our boots are scrubbed and disinfected at the end of each call thoroughly.
