Western Cape Farmers Urged to Cooperate with Regard to Ovine Johne's Disease

PRESS RELEASE 22 February 2008 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

STATEMENT BY COBUS DOWRY - MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE IN THE WESTERN CAPE
Ovine Johne's Disease (OJD) - Proposed control policy options

In the light of the possible confusion that might exist around Ovine Johne's Disease (OJD) and the concerns that certain farmers in the western Cape might have, I need to make it clear that neither myself or officials of the Department of Agriculture in the Western Cape has insisted on quarantine measures to be instituted on sheep farms in the Western Cape. It is however necessary to work in close collaboration with the authorities in order to prevent the spreading of this disease to uninfected flocks.

This disease is also known as paratuberculosis of sheep. It is a chronic disease of sheep caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis and characterised by progressive emaciation and characteristic corrugated thickening of the mucous membranes of the distal ileum and proximal colon and massively enlarged lymph nodes draining these areas.

This disease remains a problem in sheep in this country, as it is difficult to diagnose and may cause losses as high as 20% in badly infected flocks.

An extensive survey to establish the extent of OJD was conducted in the Western Cape Province during 1996/7. 1 718 Sheep farms (61% of all sheep farms in the Province) were sampled (90 samples per farm) and the resulting 154 620 samples were tested by the Provincial Veterinary Laboratory Stellenbosch.

In total 47 farms were found to be positive with 33 of these farms situated in the Caledon district and the remainder in the Ceres and Mossel Bay districts. The test used during this survey (the best available at that time) is only 40% sensitive, thus more than half of infected properties were not detected. In the interim this disease has spread widely, especially in the Southern Cape.

It is estimated that hundreds of farms have now been infected, the majority in the Western Cape Province, but also some farms in other provinces.

The Animal Disease Regulations (promulgated under the Animal Diseases Act, Act 35 of 1984) currently in force require that "infected animals shall be isolated and slaughtered at an abattoir or destroyed under the supervision of an officer" and that contact animals "shall be isolated and tested by an officer or veterinarian".

Strict enforcement of the above will have a major negative impact on the sheep industry in this province (especially the Southern Cape). In an effort to minimise this impact, but at the same time to prevent spread of this disease to uninfected flocks and areas, the veterinary services of the national government and the provinces launched an intensive round of workshops and meetings with the view to formulate a policy to address this situation.

The outcome of this was the establishment of the Small Stock Health Advisory Body(SSHAB) broadly representing the interests of the entire sheep industry in South Africa. Organisations such as NERPO, RPO, NWGA, FSSBSA, SASB, SAFLA and SAVA/LHPG are represented with Prof. Gareth Bath, professor in Small Stock Animal Health at the Veterinary Faculty at Onderstepoort acting as convenor.

The SSHAB has been tasked to formulate various policy options to tackle OJD and has consulted widely - also with the national Department of Agriculture and the Western Cape Minister of Agriculture and the Department of Agriculture. The policies proposed by the SSHAB must not only protect healthy flocks from becoming infected but must also protect the interests of owners of infected flocks. In this regard various proposals have been mooted, amongst them being:

• Declaration of heavily infected areas as OJD Control Areas. This would mean that no live animals be moved out of these areas (except for slaughter) but allowing free movement within these areas, also from infected properties. This would then obviate the legal requirement of imposition of quarantine on all infected flocks.
• Vaccination of sheep within these areas will be strongly encouraged.
• Written vendor declarations on the OJD status of flocks within these control areas by owners before the sale or transfer of animals will be required.
• Commencement of OJD detection surveys in the other provinces and also in areas within the Western Cape Province deemed to be uninfected.

The final policy proposals will be presented to the national Minister of Agriculture and her colleagues in the provinces for acceptance and promulgation into law by the publication of applicably altered Animal Disease Regulations.

In addition to this, the Western Cape Department of Agriculture has indicated that it will make available funding for post-graduate research on several aspects of OJD that still remain unclear.

Western Cape sheep farmers have been properly consulted through their respective representative organisations.

Western Cape sheep farmers must take heart in the fact that both the Executive and Public Service arms of Agriculture in the Province will look after their interests, but also need to consider the sheep farmers in the rest of the country where OJD has not been detected yet. In the light of the above, sheep farmers are urged to remain calm so that this problem can be tackled objectively, responsibly and effectively.

Further information on OJD can be obtained from State Veterinarians as well as:

Dr GSG Msiza
Chief Director Veterinary Services
Tel 021 808 5001

or
Dr P Koen
Deputy Director Animal Health
Tel 021 808 5052

Enquiries:
Alie van Jaarsveld
Spokesperson
Ministry of Agriculture: Western Cape
Tel: 021 483 4930
Fax: 021 483 3890
Cell: 084 604 6701
Email: avjaarsv@pgwc.gov.za

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