September 2020

Disease management on farm is essential to maintain a high standard of animal welfare, biosecurity, milk quality and economic sustainability. Especially in these difficult times, it is important to consider what can be done on and off farm to protect people and animals from infectious diseases. A pathogen of increasing concern in Alberta is Mycoplasma bovis, which represents a biosecurity concern for both open and closed dairy herds. A better understanding of what M. bovis is and how to prevent transmission is key in managing and preventing outbreaks on farm. Research into infectious diseases is also essential in understanding and managing disease in Alberta’s dairy herds. The University of Calgary, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM) houses one of the top research teams in dairy cow health. Recently, Dr. Herman Barkema was re-appointed as an NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Infectious Diseases of Dairy Cattle and Dr. Jeroen De Buck was awarded an NSERC Collaborative Research and Development position in Bacterial Diseases of Dairy Cattle. The work their programs are doing will help to provide insight into important pathogens and develop control strategies on dairy farms for years to come.

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