This document describes the cooperative State-Federal-Industry Voluntary Bovine Johne’s Disease Control Program, to be administered by the State and supported by Industry and the Federal government. It is intended as a working document that will change as the Program develops.

The objective of this Program is to provide minimum national standards for the control of Johne’s disease. The Program consists of three basic elements: (1) Education, to inform producers about the cost of Johne’s disease and to provide information about management strategies to prevent, control, and eliminate it; (2) Management, to work with producers to establish good management strategies on their farms; and (3) Herd Testing and Classification, to help separate test-positive herds from test-negative herds.

The Program has been developed in conjunction with the National Johne’s Working Group, with advice and recommendations from the Johne’s committee of the United States Animal Health Association. The Program has been approved by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Veterinary Services (VS).

The minimum national standards described in this document do not preclude the adoption of more stringent methods and rules by any geographical or political subdivision of the Unites States with regard to activities within their boundaries. However, regulations dealing with interstate movement must still conform to Federal regulations.