News a lifestyle block with 24 animals in Rakaia has tested positive for the disease shows all cattle farming operations must take heed of the danger.
Another lifestyle block near Inglewood, Taranaki, is under Notice of Direction while follow-up testing is done.
“Big, small, lifestyle or intensive/extensive, any farm operation with cattle is at risk and the owners and staff have a part to play in the biosecurity of the sector,” Lewis said.
“Outside Canterbury and Southland it is understandable that many small block holders were not aware of the implications of M bovis for them.
“But there is a wealth of information out there and everyone with cattle needs to do their homework.”
Stock movements carry the highest risk for spreading of M bovis.
With restrictions on all known risk properties the risks of buying infected calves are low but not zero.
“So ask before you buy, find out where the animals have come from, register yourself with Nait, make sure the animals you are buying all have Nait tags and don’t let them off the truck or pick them up unless they do,” Lewis said.
Meanwhile, every dairy farm in NZ is about to have its milk tested again as the Ministry for Primary Industries starts a second round of nationwide milk testing.
Milk samples will be collected from each farm about four weeks after the start of supply with the first samples expected to be collected in the North Island in late July.
MPI response director Geoff Gwyn said all test samples will be collected as part of the standard on-tanker test process.
Samples will be collected from each farm every two weeks up to a total of six samples over 12 weeks and tested by Milk TestNZ.
Tests will look for the presence of antibodies to M bovis and also the DNA of the bacterium.
Once the programme is completed farmers with not-detected results will receive advice from their dairy company confirming the disease has not been found in their samples.
But Gwyn cautioned “The complex nature of the disease means results cannot be taken as a guarantee the farm is free of the infection.”
Those in the North Island will receive their results on or before November 1 and those in the South Island will hear on or before November 15.
Any farm that has M bovis positive samples will be contacted immediately by MPI.
To date 28,300 cattle have been culled by MPI with 54 confirmed infected properties, of which 13 have been cleared of the disease.
A total of 67 claims totaling $12.5 million have been paid with $17.3m of claims assessed to date from 197 claims received to the value of $28.7m.
