Harnessing farmer engagement to develop a 10-point plan to control Johne's disease in dairy herds

Since the launch of the voluntary National Johne's Management Plan (NJMP) in 2015, the within-herd prevalence of Johne's disease (JD) in the UK has decreased from 8.49% to 2.68%, this reduction occurred by 2022. As part of the NJMP, veterinarians and farmers are required to conduct a risk assessment, examine the herd JD status and formulate a management plan within which farmers commit to one of six management strategies. In response to the success of the NJMP, completion of the NJMP or equivalent scheme has been mandatory under the Red Tractor assurance scheme since 2019. However, levels of engagement with the NJMP among both veterinarians and farmers, and progress with respect to JD prevalence, vary considerably. This paper uses a mixture of literature and expert opinions to discuss these issues and generate the JD Control 10-Point Plan. Failing to control JD is generally not associated with technical issues or inadequate supporting science, but with attitudes, beliefs and communications. The JD Control 10-Point Plan is a practical step-by-step guide for veterinary practices detailing how to develop JD control plans. In summary, veterinary practices should agree on a database which can be used to store data, develop a ‘Johne's disease champion’, conduct knowledge exchange events and follow up with individual farmers to better understand the attitudes and beliefs of their clients. Then, in line with the NJMP, use risk assessment and initial surveillance data to discuss and develop a JD control plan which is to be reviewed annually.