A new test for Johne’s disease, a deadly infection of cattle, is available for sale to veterinarians and farmers, Zoetis Inc. reported today. The test, SERELISA ParaTB Ab Mono Indirect, is designed to detect Mycobacterium avium antibodies in cattle serum and plasma in less than 75 minutes. Johne’s disease, also known as paratuberculosis, can cost U.S. cattle producers hundreds of millions of dollars a year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Infected cattle are doomed to death once clinical signs such as diarrhea and weight loss appear. Cattle may be vaccinated against Johne’s disease, but no cure is available. Paratuberculosis is contagious and may spread throughout a herd when an infected animal is introduced. Infected cattle may appear healthy for months or years before symptoms begin to appear, Zoetis noted. “Calves are most susceptible to Johne’s disease and producers want to help protect them,” said Matthew Krecic, DVM, MS, MBA, Dipl. ACVIM. “Producers often wait to add newly purchased cattle to the herd until certain the animals are free from the disease,” said Dr. Krecic, the senior technical services manager of U.S. Diagnostics for Zoetis. The SERELISA assay kit features 90 percent sensitivity and 99.6 percent specificity, Zoetis stated. The test is one of several new diagnostic tests coming from Zoetis, the Florham Park, N.J., company added.
