Queensland Johne’s disease surveillance program
A surveillance program for Johne’s disease was authorised under the Biosecurity Act 2014. The program has concluded.
Biosecurity matter
The biosecurity matter to which the biosecurity program related is Johne’s disease (JD) caused by infection with Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis.
Purpose and scope
The purposes of the Program were:
- to monitor compliance with the Act
- to monitor the effectiveness of measures taken in response to Johne’s disease risk.
The biosecurity program applied to the sheep, beef cattle, dairy cattle, goat, deer and South American camelid industries throughout the entire state of Queensland.
Commencement and duration
The biosecurity program commenced on 24 October 2016.
Termination
Industry mechanisms focussing on farm biosecurity planning and market forces have made the JD Surveillance Program obsolete. These market mechanisms include Johne’s disease – Beef Assurance Score (J-BAS), Dairy Score soon to be replaced by Johne’s disease – Dairy Assurance Score (J-DAS), Livestock Production Assurance (LPA) accreditation requirements, and entry requirements for Northern Territory and Western Australia. These tools offer greater profile, impact and recognition than the JD Surveillance Program due to active collaborative promotion between industry and government.
As a result of the active adoption of industry management of JD risks, the JD Surveillance Program is considered unnecessary. The Program has been terminated by Dr Elizabeth Woods, Director-General of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries on 20 June 2018.
