Milk samples are being collected from every dairy herd in New Zealand and will be tested to screen for TB in milk.Working with Ireland-based Enfer Group, the manager of New Zealand’s TB programme, OSPRI, is trialling a bulk tank milk (BTM) test which has the potential to improve its TB testing process.
Milk samples are being collected from every dairy herd in New Zealand and will be tested to screen for TB in milk.
Working with Ireland-based Enfer Group, the manager of New Zealand’s TB programme, OSPRI, is trialling a bulk tank milk (BTM) test which has the potential to improve its TB testing process.
Known as the Enferplex test, it’s been developed to screen for TB in milk and could result in a range of benefits – including greater levels of coverage for dairy farms, on-farm testing directed by early screening and therefore reduced disruption for dairy farmers.
“We’re the first country to try to use the test in a national TB management programme. As New Zealand’s TB eradication programme is well developed, a BTM screening tool would be ideal to narrow down our on-farm testing to where the disease risk is located, without compromising on protecting our herds,” OSPRI said.
Data
The trial will provide the data needed to confirm if the test will be effective in New Zealand conditions. If successful, OSPRI can then apply to the Ministry of Primary Industries to register the test.
Samples from dairy herds are now being tested, and on-farm TB testing of a number of dairy herds across the country as a result will follow.
“These herds consist of those that have livestock showing a detect result for TB using the Enferplex test, and then, herds that have tested negative but are within the vicinity of a positive herd,” it said.
False positives
OSPRI said that it is important to note that when screening herds for TB, individual animals can present ‘as if’ infected - for a variety of reasons.
“So, we do expect a proportion of false positives (there is no disease) resolved by further TB testing at the farm.
“We’re aiming to have all the selected herds TB tested within the April – 1 June window. They’ll go through the standard skin and blood testing process of a normal herd test,” it added.
This test will count as a routine herd test and have the same results process – however the status of a herd will not change as a result of the BTM test itself.
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