Disease sees 4,000 cattle culled in NZ

More than 4,000 head of cattle are to be culled in New Zealand in a bid to try to control the spread of a mycoplasma bovis outbreak.

The disease has been spreading in the country since July and has been found on seven farms.

Cattle from two of those have already been culled, but now the New Zealand government has announced plans to cull 4,000 animals on five more farms.

Five of the farms infected are part of the 16 farm Van Leeuwen Dairy Group owned by Aad and Wilma Van Leeuwen.

Of the seven properties infected, six are in the South Canterbury/Otago region and one is in Rangiora, North Canterbury.

Geoff Gwyn, the director of response for Ministry for Primary Industries, said: “Since the start of this response in late July, we’ve carried out tens of thousands of tests of the infected, neighbouring and trace properties as well as district-wide testing in Waimate and Waitaki, and nationwide testing of bulk milk.

“The only positive results for the disease have been on seven infected properties, leading us to be cautiously optimistic that we are dealing with a localised area of infection around Oamaru.

“This whole operation is about managing the disease while keeping our future options open.

“Moving ahead with depopulation of the affected farms will allow them to get back to normal business as soon as it is safe to do so,” he added.

Mycoplasma bovis can infect both calves and cows and is potentially fatal.

Picture: Getty. The New Zealand government is trying to control the spread of mycoplasma bovis disease.