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Confucius is often quoted as saying, “If you are the smartest person in the room, then you are in the wrong room.” However, in the Cattle Health Certification Standards (Checs) boardroom, intelligence abounds without anyone feeling out of place.

Despite their high levels of intelligence, Checs has been facing a challenge for the past six years. The organization is responsible for setting standards and overseeing health schemes across the UK for diseases such as bovine viral diarrhoea, leptospirosis, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, Johne’s, neospora, and now TB.

Johne’s disease, caused by an infection with Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (Map), poses a significant threat to cattle herds. Detecting Johne’s can be challenging as some cattle may carry the disease without showing any symptoms. The disease is not only a welfare concern but also a financial burden for farmers.

To complicate matters, there are other Mycobacteria that can interfere with disease detection tests, leading to false positives. To address this issue, Checs introduced a new Johne’s risk level (RL) rating – RL1* (star) – for herds with the lowest risk. This rating signifies that the herd has had at least three years of clear blood tests, with the number following the RL indicating the consecutive years tested.

The introduction of the RL1* rating is just one step in tackling the complex problem of Johne’s disease. It is essential for Checs to stay informed about the latest research and developments to create meaningful risk levels for cattle health certification.

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