Cow disease spreads to North Canterbury

The disease, mycoplasma bovis, is spread through nose to nose contact, which animals can do through a fence

Christchurch: Positive tests for cattle disease mycoplasma bovis in the South Island show the disease has spread from South Canterbury to Rangiora in North Canterbury.

The three new positive tests bring the total of infected farms from three to six.

Two of the new properties are part of the Van Leeuwen Dairy Group in South Canterbury and are already under Restricted Place notices under the Biosecurity Act.

The third new property is a lifestyle block near Rangiora that had received a small number of calves from the farm in North Otago that was confirmed infected last week.

Ministry for Primary Industries response coordinator David Yard said the three properties were linked to existing infected farms and the spread was an entirely expected pattern at this stage of the response.

“We fully expect to find more infected properties as we continue our tracing and testing programme.

“All detections to date have links to the original infected properties via animal movements and have been caused by close animal contact. What is encouraging is that, despite intensive testing, no adjacent properties have as yet been identified as infected.” Farmers have been concerned about MPI’s management of the disease after its discovery late last month, with one farmer recently saying potentially infected bulls had been moved next to his cows.

The disease, mycoplasma bovis, is spread through nose to nose contact, which animals can do through a fence.

It can be fatal in cattle but is not a health risk to humans.