Veterinarians and economists at the University of Saskatoon in Canada teamed up to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of Johne’s disease (JD) control strategies in beef cattle herds. They concluded that “testing every year with individual PCR provided the best mix of disease reduction and financial return.”
This scientific article was published December 17, 2025 in the journal Veterinary Sciences by L. Rosengren et al. It is very technical and best suited for experts. However, the main message is clear, consistent with most other such studies, and in full agreement with the recommendations presented for beef cattle herds on this website.
As stated in the article:
“The primary objective of this study was to evaluate test-and-cull strategies for Johne’s disease in Western Canadian beef herds using an existing stochastic simulation model. Specifically, strategies were assessed against three criteria: (i) feasibility within typical animal handling patterns, (ii) effectiveness in maintaining or reducing JD prevalence at 10 years, and (iii) profitability compared with no testing, as measured by the 10-year NPV. A secondary objective was to quantify the relative economic cost of Johne’s disease to the beef industry and to assess the value of maintaining JD-free herds under different replacement and market scenarios.”
SIMPLE SUMMARY
Johne’s disease (JD) is an untreatable intestinal infection in cattle that reduces herd health and profitability. To understand how well different control programs work in beef herds, we combined a computer simulation to model JD spread in a typical 300-cow Western Canadian operation with an economic model to estimate financial outcomes over 10 years. We evaluated seven test-and-cull strategies that used different diagnostic tests and testing schedules, including risk-based sampling. All strategies lowered the frequency of JD compared with doing nothing, and most improved overall profitability. Testing every year with individual PCR provided the best mix of disease reduction and financial return. Testing every six months with PCR reduced disease the most but cost more. Herds that did not use any control saw JD levels rise and experienced long-term economic losses. The results were generally stable across changes in production costs, market prices, and replacement-heifer management. However, profits dropped when purchased animals had a high JD prevalence. Overall, this study shows that JD can be economically controlled in beef herds using long-term test-and-cull programs tailored to producer goals.
COMMENTS
The findings of this study are generally applicable to other types of animals affected by JD, especially for animals used for breeding purposes.
For general information about JD in beef cattle visit this page of our website.
To watch a one-hour lecture on JD in beef cattle click here.