Containing and controlling Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis)
Find out what work we do on properties in the M. bovis programme.
Properties under active surveillance
We place a farm under active surveillance when the risk of M. bovis infection is low.
This includes farms that:
- sent cattle to a farm which later became infected
- neighbour an infected farm
- received cattle from an infected farm before we believe that farm was infected.
We do tests on these properties, including testing management groups (mobs) of cattle that might have been exposed to M. bovis.
There's no evidence of M. bovis spreading across farm boundaries, unless cattle have mixed or interacted. The risk is so low that the farms do not need to be placed under movement restrictions.
A very small number of farms placed under active surveillance are found to be infected.
Properties under Notice of Direction
A farm is placed under Notice of Direction (NOD) when the risk is high that cattle there may be infected with M. bovis.
This includes farms where:
- there are or have been animals we have traced from an infected herd
- a round of active surveillance testing was positive
- a close association exists with an infected farm — they share the same owner or manager
- a high-detect test result has been produced from bulk tank milk screening or beef and drystock surveillance.
While restrictions are in place, farmers must not move the following off the farm without a permit:
- Cattle.
- Milk not being sent to a commercial processor.
- Equipment that's been used for milking or has been in direct contact with cattle.
This means we limit the potential spread of M. bovis while we test to find out if any cattle are infected.
Confirmed properties
A confirmed property is either an active confirmed property or cleared confirmed property.
Active confirmed properties
An active confirmed property is a farm with mobs of cattle that have been determined to have M. bovis.
A Restricted Place (RP) Notice is applied to active confirmed properties. This means:
- cattle cannot be moved in or out of the RP Notice area without a permit
- all cattle in the RP Notice area need to be culled (depopulated)
- no at-risk goods/equipment or cattle can be moved out of the RP area, except for cattle being transported to slaughter as arranged by the M. bovis programme.
A seemingly healthy animal can have M. bovis and still infect others. This means that if we confirm the disease in 1 animal, we have to assume the whole herd is infected and cull animals on the farm (or affected areas of the farm).
After this, the farm is:
- cleaned — to remove animal waste, debris, dirt and organic matter from surfaces
- disinfected — to destroy any bacteria that may remain after cleaning.
After disinfection, a minimum 60-day stand-down period applies. M. bovis bacteria can only survive for very short times when exposed to heat, dry conditions or UV light. The stand-down period allows the natural processes of time, dehydration, warmth and sunlight to reduce the quantity of surviving bacteria.
Cleared confirmed properties
An active confirmed property becomes a cleared confirmed property after it has:
- had stock culled
- been cleaned and disinfected
- completed stand-down
- had restrictions lifted.
After this the farm can be repopulated with cattle. We work with farmers on a recovery plan that's tailored to their needs.